Romeo and Cinderella
by solitaryloner
Summary: Based on Romeo and Cinderella by Miku Hatsune. I just want to get away from you...but is this prince any good for me? Who is he? Is he my Prince Charming? Or is he a wolf in sheep's clothing? But one thing that's for sure - I'll never fall for him. Not even if he's Romeo - because Romeo and Juliet died in the end, didn't they? LenXMiku.
1. A Plan and A Prince

Cinderella tipped her head to one side, her long teal hair flowing like a waterfall over her slim back. ''A ball? At the palace?'' she murmured. ''How interesting.''

For Cinderella was a conniving girl, and when she saw a way to escape the poverty of her life, she grasped it like a drowning man, clutching at straws.

Her lip curled into a sneer. Her step-sisters, Anastasia and Lucinda, and her step-mother. All three were horrible women, and she hated the way they bossed her around, like she was worthless. Like she was nothing.

Nothing, when it was _her _father who had amassed such fortune for them? Who had passed away, leaving behind riches aplenty? Riches that were rightfully hers! But no, her step-mother, the woman her father had married after her mother's untimely death, had swooped in and grabbed her inheritance, like the greedy vulture she was.

''Cinderella!'' Anastasia's screech echoed down the hallway, to her small attic room. Cinderella jumped, feeling guilty as she hid the invitation she had received in a drawer. Apparently, the prince of their land, the king's beloved adopted son, was seeking a bride, and the king was hosting a three-night long ball for all maidens aged between fifteen to eighteen especially for him.

Cinderella smiled. If she could sneak to the ball, somehow capture the prince's heart, she would be able to escape her life as a servant here...''Cinderella!'' Anastasia's shrieked again, more insistently this time, and Cinderella jerked from her reverie, hurrying down the stairs to her step-sister's room.

''Slacking off again, were you, you little minx?'' Anastasia snapped. Cinderella lowered her head, trying to look contrite. _Cinderella. _Again, her lips curled into a slight sneer.

How she hated that name. The name that was not hers. Her step-mother had found it amusing to name her after a fairytale, and Cinderella had no choice but to agree that her circumstances were similar to that of her namesake...including the ball part. She smiled.

''What are you smiling at, servant-girl?'' Anastasia scowled. She hated anything that could make her beautiful step-sister smile. ''Re-arrange all the dresses in my wardrobe by colour. I've just gotten a whole bunch of dresses from the neighbouring blue country, and I want them sorted out by the time I return from dinner. Or I'll complain to Mama, and then there won't even be supper for you.'' With a self-satisfied smirk, she left the room, Cinderella fuming inside.

Cinderella. A name she both hated and admired, envied. What she wouldn't give to have a happy ending like Cinderella. But she wasn't her. Her name was Miku Hatsune, and like Cinderella she would sneak to the ball and steal the prince's affections...provided she could sort out Anastasia's numerous gowns first.

Elsewhere, in the palace, at the top of the hill, a prince sighed, a glass of wine in his slender hands. His blonde hair was twisted back into a small ponytail, his cerulean blue eyes narrowed with unpleasant memories.

''Father...do we really have to do this?'' His voice was filled with frustration, and a hint of a plea. ''I'm not interested in any girl, not after Juliet,'' his voice broke on the name. The king was stern, his long purple hair floating gently in the breeze that wafted in through the open window.

''There's no point in moping for the dead, Romeo, my son,'' the king said quietly. ''She's gone, but you...you are still alive, and you need a companion. Someone to love and care for.''

''That someone was Juliet, and no one can ever take her place in my heart.'' Romeo's blue eyes narrowed further, closing off with pain. ''She was so beautiful. I loved her...and she died,'' he ran his long fingers through his bright blonde hair. ''I should have died with her.'' Blue eyes slid over to the purple-haired man. ''Why did you save me?'' Romeo sounded genuinely confused, and the king sighed.

''Just because she died does not mean you have no reason to continue living,'' he reasoned out. ''It's pointless to love a dead girl. You have to move on, my son,'' he beseeched. The king saw Romeo scowl slightly and tilt the glass, ready to take a sip, and he reached out to stop him.

The prince looked at his father for a brief second, face blank, before letting go of the glass. The king took it.

Romeo had always relied on alcohol to get him into a stupor, and it pained him to see his son being ruined like that. Adopted or not. His Juliet's death had affected him badly enough that he had tried to end his own life, and he was the one who had saved him from his untimely death.

The king still wasn't sure whether Romeo loved him or hated him for it. ''Either way, son, the ball is tomorrow night...'' The king hesitated as the blonde eighteen-year-old stared unblinkingly at him. ''Even if you won't choose a bride, at least find someone to talk to. Someone to befriend.''

The prince remained quiet for awhile, seemingly contemplative. Finally, he nodded, face still expressionless. ''I can do that,'' he sighed, ''but I make no promises.'' Romeo then turned, back facing the king to stare out of the window, clearly indicating the conversation was over. The king knew to retreat, so he left the prince to his own company.

The prince pushed his blonde locks away from his eyes, thinking. A friend. That was...possible. No one could replace Juliet, but it would be nice to have someone to talk to. ''I guess I just have to endure this ball then,'' he muttered to himself, ''before Father lets me get drunk again.''

Snapping his fingers, a servant hurried into the room at his summons. ''Get me wine,'' Romeo commanded, ''enough to let me forget everything.'' The servant nodded, hurrying off, and Romeo smiled sadly.

He just wanted to forget, why wouldn't God let him do that?


	2. Night of the First Ball

''Cinderella!'' It was Lucinda's high-pitched scream this time, and Cinderella sighed a heavy sigh. She was tired, having spent the whole day cleaning the entire house, and all she wanted to do was go take a nap. But would her dear step-sisters allow her the luxury? No, of course not.

They were too caught up with their preparations for the ball tonight to consider the fact that Cinderella was only human. Not a robot. Cinderella's lips twitched. The ball. She would go, and she would prepare. Once they all left, that was.

''Yes, Lucinda?'' she flitted into her step-sister's room. Lucinda stood in the middle of the dreadfully pink room, her arms akimbo as her hazel eyes glared at Cinderella.

''I've been calling you for ages!'' Lucinda whined like the spoilt brat she was. Lucinda was two years younger than her, at age sixteen, and Cinderella had to stop herself from rolling her eyes in disdain.

''Yes, Lucinda, what do you want?'' she asked patiently. The girl pouted, flipping some of her long red hair over her shoulders.

''Do my hair,'' she commanded. ''And make it nicer than Anastasia's. I'm going to be the one to capture the prince's heart tonight,'' Lucinda smiled a self-satisfied smile. It was the smile of a cat which had just spotted a bowl full of cream, and Cinderella pressed her lips together to keep from scowling.

She would be the one the prince would fall for, no one else, and she struggled to keep back a rising sense of desperation. This was her only way out of her life, and she was taking it.

Two hours later, after Lucinda was finally satisfied with her hair, Cinderella was able to drag her weary self up the stairs to her small attic room. Her step-mother still wanted her to wash all the laundry and hang it up to dry, but Cinderella didn't bother, knowing that there weren't any dirty clothes to be washed yet.

''Cinderella!'' She heard her step-mother call out from the ground floor. ''We're leaving for the ball now! When we're back you better have supper prepared for us.'' Cinderella made a noise of assent and, satisfied, she heard her step-mother and step-sisters leave the manor, the door slamming heavily shut behind them.

Cinderella glanced at the clock on the landing wall. It was eight pm. According to the invitation she had received, the palace stopped allowing guests into the palace at half past eight. She knew she had to prepare now if she ever wanted to make it in time, so with haste she hurried to Lucinda's room.

Lucinda had a large array of scented soaps and bath oils, luxuries that Cinderella had spent ages arranging for the brat. And she fully intended to make use of her labours tonight.

She ran a quick bath, using some of Lucinda's lavender-scented soaps, before hurriedly rinsing herself and wrapping a towel around her body. Sprinting up to her room, she went to her drawer, sliding it open.

From the depths of her drawers, she took out a gleaming brass key, and with bated breath she slid the key into the keyhole of the door next to the pitiful cupboard which housed all her uniforms. The door creaked open on rusty hinges, and the sight inside took Cinderella's breath away.

Dresses. So many dresses, so very lovely. They all belonged to her mother, and she remembered how her mother always wore them before her death, how she had radiated life and beauty and joy. Cinderella wondered whether she would ever look as breath-taking as her mother did in those dresses, and woefully she shook her head.

These dresses were the only part of her inheritance that her step-mother did not claim, simply because she had no idea the dresses existed. After her mother's death, Cinderella's father had been devastated, choosing to burn her mother's possessions rather than face the harsh reality of her passing.

However, Cinderella had hid some of her mother's dresses up in the attic, and they escaped her father's misery. Only Cinderella knew of the dresses' existence, and she planned to keep it that way.

Cinderella bit her lip, wondering which one to wear. She finally chose one, a long, silvery-white dress threaded through with silver embroidery. The skirt was long and full, the bodice fitting, body-hugging, accentuating her slender waist. It fit her perfectly, and Cinderella smiled, the long sleeves gathering at her slim wrists.

With quick, deft movements, she twisted her maddeningly long dark green hair into an elegant chignon, slipping her feet into a pair of white heels. Turning, she looked into her mirror, and she let out a gasp.

She looked so..._different. _Her forest-green eyes were large and sparkling, almost eager. Her body was graceful and slender, the dress fitting her like it was painted on. She looked dreamy, excited...like Cinderella going to the ball.

With trembling fingers, she reached out to her small table, picking up her simple white mask. Slipping it over her eyes, she took another look into the mirror, and she could barely recognise her own self. She looked so different from when she was covered with dirt and grime.

A quick glance at the clock. It was eight-twenty, and Cinderella knew she had to hurry. Rushing out of the manor, she began walking briskly in the direction of the palace, thanking God that their manor was only a few hundred metres away from the hill-top palace.

It was one of the only few times she was grateful for her step-mother's desire to appear rich and wealthy, for it was simply due to that wish that her father had bought this expensive manor at the hilltop, in a neighbourhood meant strictly for the rich and affluent.

When she reached the palace, the mostly upward trek had left her breathless, and two palace guards were starting to close the large, heavy front doors. Cinderella summoned the last vestiges of her strength and ran forward, crying for the guards to stop. They shot each other a bemused look before letting her in, the door closing with a loud 'click' behind her.

Cinderella couldn't believe she had actually sneaked into the ball. Though she had wanted to, some part of her had believed she would never be able to pull such a feat off. But she had, and here she was. In the palace. She looked around, awe-struck by all the finery she could see as the guards escorted her through the winding passageways, to the ballroom.

The ballroom was huge, maybe larger than the manor Cinderella herself lived in, and it was _filled _with girls, aged between fifteen and eighteen. They all stood and mingled, giggling and laughing, friends and rivals, all with one single target - the unbelievably handsome blonde in the centre of the room.

He was greeting the guests, a slightly bored expression on his face, and Cinderella frowned. That was not the expression of one seeking a bride. It seemed almost like he was forced to be here.

She joined the long, winding line which waited to greet the prince, her being the very last. Despite all appearances, the line moved quickly, and she eventually found herself right before the blonde-haired prince. The white mask he wore covered the top half of his face, much like her mask, and she wondered what were the colour of his eyes.

The prince tilted his head to one side, and blushing, Cinderella dipped into a low curtsey. ''Good evening, my lord,'' she prayed her voice wouldn't falter. He smiled, a brief smile, and reaching out for her hand he brought it to his lips, sending an electric tingle through her skin. She snatched her hand away, wincing. _Dammit, I'm not supposed to like him, _she thought savagely.

Cinderella didn't want to fall for the prince. This was supposed to be a one-sided thing, so she could escape her misery.

The prince stared at her, curious. ''What's your name?'' he spoke for the first time, and his voice was lilting, mesmerising, even. It was velvet smooth and almost...silky. Silky like his bright blonde hair. Cinderella shook herself.

''Cinderella,'' she answered honestly. His eyebrows lifted.

''Cinderella,'' he rolled the name around his tongue. ''That's a...unique name. To be named after a fairytale. Your parents must have had a remarkable sense of humour.''

Her cheeks heated up, as they did whenever someone said anything about her hateful name. ''Just like yours, Prince Romeo,'' she snapped without thinking, then bit her tongue so hard she was sure she drew blood.

In an instant the prince had a dagger at her throat, and she froze as the dancers around her stopped to stare. ''What impudence,'' the prince hissed. ''I could cut out your tongue, Cinderella,'' his voice wrapped lovingly around her name. ''But I won't. I like spunk.''

Then the dagger was gone, as quickly as it had been drawn, and Cinderella exhaled in relief. ''For your information, Romeo is a nickname,'' the prince continued as though nothing had happened. ''It stuck. My real name is Len. Len Kagamine.''

In Cinderella's opinion, Len suited him better than Romeo. He looked more dangerous and less love-struck than the Romeo in Shakespeare's most famous tragedy. She fluttered her eyelashes at him, then realised it was pointless as her mask still covered the top half of her face. ''Have a good night, Prince...Len,'' she said coyly, turning away.

His hand gripped her shoulder, and she gasped. His fingers were cool, and she could feel their coolness seeping in through the fabric of her sleeve. ''You intrigue me, Cinderella,'' he leant in close, whispering in her ear. ''Meet me later, in five minutes, next to that purple plant over there. Five minutes, or you'll miss me,'' his cool, cinnamon-scented breath tickled her ear, and he was gone, lost in the crowd.

Cinderella swallowed. That was interesting. The prince wasn't as shallow as she thought. This would be quite a challenge. Slowly, she smiled, making her way to the refreshments table, all the while keeping her eyes on the large clock on the wall.


	3. A Girl Named Cinderella

Romeo was extremely curious about the girl who called herself Cinderella. He stood in a corner, watching the girl watch the clock. He smirked, once again running his fingers through his blonde hair. How eager would she be to meet him?

He had greeted what seemed like innumerable girls, all desperate to be his bride. He had been polite, but a trifle exasperated, wanting this night to be over and done with. Finally, he had reached the last girl, though he tried not to let his face cloud over with relief.

However, after glimpsing the girl, his relief had been replaced by surprise, and the slightest hint of intrigue. Her hair was long, thick, twisted into a bun which showed off the slenderness of her pale neck. She reached up to his shoulders, a tiny, petite, almost ethereal creature in her fairy-queen white dress.

When he had kissed her hand, she had hastily drawn it away, unlike the other girls who had lingered, practically begged for another kiss. His lips quirked up.

When she introduced herself to be Cinderella, he had wondered whether she had been playing him for a fool. But the honesty in her voice made him think otherwise, and he wondered now if Cinderella was a nickname that had stuck, much like his.

He had been called Romeo in the town he had once lived in, due to his affection and devotion to his now-deceased beloved, Rin Kagamine. They had called her Juliet, thinking their love would be eternal and unbreakable. Romeo laughed bitterly. How apt the name was, in hindsight.

Much as Romeo and Juliet had loved each other, they had been separated by tragedy, just like how Rin had died so terribly. The familiar guilt began to gnaw at him, and he wanted to drink some wine to forget, but then he saw the green-haired girl, Cinderella, make her way over to the purple plant he had told her to wait by, and instead of going to look for alcohol, he went to her.

He had never been one to forget appointments, especially not this one. The sheer grace of her movements astounded him, and he wondered how else the teal beauty would surprise him.

Her daring had definitely surprised him. He hadn't been lying to her - if he so wished, he could have cut her tongue out in a heartbeat. He had killed men for less. But...she was a girl, a beautiful one at that, and he admitted that her bravery and impulsiveness sparked...something in him.

Sparked emotion in an empty shell which he thought had long ceased to feel.

''You're early,'' he sneaked up behind her, sneaking the chance to touch her soft hair. The green seemed to be real, and God, her hair was so silky. He wanted to keep touching it. She whirled around, her mouth rounded into a small 'O', and he smiled at her as she gulped.

Dear girl. She was so nervous. ''I won't eat you up, Cinderella,'' he assured her. ''Don't worry.''

He thought she blinked, though he couldn't be sure due to her mask. He began wondering what were the colour of her eyes. Would they be blue, like his eyes, like Rin's eyes? ''Is your hair naturally green?'' he asked, the question coming out more blunt than he had originally intended.

Her hands fluttered up to her hair. ''Yes...'' she replied hesitantly. ''My mother had always said that I was blessed by the angels, which was why they gave me hair the colour of nature.'' Romeo watched as she nibbled on her lower lip, playing with the sleeves of her dress.

''And is your name really Cinderella?'' That was the one question he couldn't seem to forget. Cinderella, who came to the ball, who caught the prince and escaped the drudgery of her life...it was strange, how similar the current situation was.

A ball, a prince, the beautiful damsel. Was she suffering like Cinderella too?

She shook her head, gaze averted to the floor. ''My name's Miku Hatsune. My step-mother decided it would be hilarious to name me after a fictional character, so that became my name,'' she said wryly. Romeo considered the name. Miku. It was a cute name, sassy, feminine.

He held out his hand. ''Dance with me,'' he purred silkily. She stared at his proferred hand, unsure, then tentatively she placed her small hand in his. He pulled her into the centre of the ballroom, and they waltzed to the music of the minstrels, him enjoying the feel of soft skin against his.

Not that he was in any way attracted to her. She would be an excellent friend - someone who could state what she wanted, freely, without fear. Not someone who cowered, for fear of offending him. Yes, a friend. She wasn't Rin, nor could she ever replace Rin in his memories, in his heart, in his dreams. Miku was too...different from Rin.

The song ended, and Miku pulled away from him immediately, disappearing before he could catch her. His eyes narrowed in displeasure. Being a prince, he wasn't used to women fleeing from him, and in his head, an idea was born.

Miku was...difficult. She didn't seem to want to be his bride, didn't seem to want to be in any way related to him.

But he knew she would likely return for the balls on the next two nights, and in those two nights he would convince her to move into the palace with him, to be his closest friend, his trusted confidante. Yes, to be his friend, nothing more.

Cinderella was gasping as she left the palace. She had glimpsed her step-mother, who seemed ready to leave, and she knew that it was necessary she be at home before they did.

''I haven't made supper,'' she whispered to herself. But even as she thought that, a smile curved her lips. She had danced with the prince, danced with Len Kagamine, and he hadn't shown any interest in any other girl. Not a single one. She was sure she stood a chance, and she was determined to return tomorrow night.

Now all she had to do was make supper.


	4. Night of the Second Ball

The next day, poor Cinderella had to endure her step-sisters raving on and on about the ball. ''The prince looked at me!'' Lucinda boasted to Anastasia and a very bored Cinderella. ''He told me I looked beautiful.''

''The prince told me to return tonight so he could see me again,'' Anastasia countered, a triumphant smile on her face. ''Clearly, he fancies me. Why else would he say something like that?''

Lucinda snorted. ''He was probably being nice. Who would want to see a shrew like you? But he really is ever so handsome,'' she sighed dreamily. ''So gentlemanly, so...delicious.'' She giggled, and Cinderella watched Anastasia roll her eyes.

''You don't have any hope, sister-dear,'' she said sarcastically. ''The prince only had eyes for one girl the whole night. The one with green hair, that beautiful one who wore a mask just like his. He danced with her, and only her, remember? He didn't dance with anyone else after she left. Actually, he disappeared too.''

Cinderella pressed her lips together to keep from smiling at Lucinda's crest-fallen face.

Frankly, she was rather surprised that no one had recognised her for her distinctive green hair, especially not her step-family. But they had probably thought the idea of her going for the ball as completely absurd, and totally dismissed the truth while it was right there, under their noses.

Anastasia and Lucinda had been trying to guess who was the green-haired girl the whole morning, and sometimes Cinderella had to suppress the urge to shout out, ''It's me! I'm the one who the prince fancies!''

Anastasia turned to Cinderella, as though finally recalling her presence. ''Cinderella, you fixed Lucinda's hair yesterday,'' she began haughtily. ''so today you should fix my hair instead.'' Cinderella nodded in assent, ignoring Lucinda's shrieks of 'it's not fair'.

She followed the same routine as yesterday night, but this time her family left earlier, giving her more time to prepare. She soaked herself in a bath again, this time with rose-scented oils, and she took her time to dry herself off. Even after the bath it was only seven pm, so she went to choose another dress for the ball.

This time, her dress was a soft, rose pink, with a chiffon train and gold embroidery. She wore her hair loose so it flowed over her shoulders, draping around her waist. She wore a pair of simple yet elegant black heels, and this time she added a faint hint of makeup. After that, she picked up another mask, unsure if she should wear it or not.

Eventually she decided to go along with it and, with trembling fingers, she secured the red mask in place. She thought she looked more beautiful than she had the last night, and satisfied with her own appearance she departed for the ball.

After the uneventful trek to the palace, she entered through the large double doors, gliding along the passageways to the ballroom. When she entered, she searched the large room, but she found no sign of the prince. Cinderella hesitated. Where was he?

''Miss me?'' his voice, both familiar yet not, slid seductively into her ear, like blood mixed with chocolate, danger blended with seduction. She whirled around to face him, shocked, and the prince was standing behind her, his lips curved into a teasing smile. Cinderella bit her lower lip, an habit she had never managed to get rid of.

''Not really,'' she answered, trying not to seem too eager. Hey, just because she _thought _he might fancy her didn't mean that she had to fawn over him. Cinderella liked being independent, and that meant strictly no fawning.

The prince frowned a little, obviously displeased, and she felt even more confident that he at least liked her. ''How disappointing. I've missed you, you know. After you left so _suddenly_,'' he stressed on the word, ''I didn't dance with anyone else. Not with a single soul.''

So Anastasia was telling the truth, after all. Cinderella felt slightly surprised.

''I apologise for making you feel that way, my prince,'' she curtsied, ''I had affairs to settle at home. No disrespect was intended. Now, I must go mingle with others. Good night, prince.'' She walked away, feeling his eyes on her retreating back.

Making her way to the refreshments table, she paused as she saw her step-mother standing there, laughing and gossiping with some of the other older women. She hesitated, unsure of whether or not she should go forward, but in the end she did. She was just so thirsty, and besides she doubted her step-mother would know who she was.

All eyes turned to her as she reached the table, picking up a glass to pour some fruit punch into. There was an awkward silence. Then, her step-mother melted from the group and approached her, a slight frown on her usually wrinkle-free face.

''Good evening, miss,'' her step-mother began, ''but may I know your name? You seem rather...familiar.''

Damn.

''My name, madam?'' Cinderella swallowed the sudden lump in her throat. ''I am...Miku. Miku...Kagamine,'' she suddenly, recklessly said. Everyone thought that the prince really was called Romeo, so she doubted anyone would link the Kagamine name back to him.

''Miku Kagamine,'' her step-mother echoed. ''I know someone else named Miku. Miku Hatsune. My step-daughter. She's quite pretty,'' there was a faint hint of grudging admiration in her voice, ''but you are doubtlessly far more beautiful than she could ever hope to be. Have a pleasant evening, Miss Kagamine - I hope we meet again.'' With that, she sauntered off, and Cinderella let out a sigh of relief.

She turned away from the group her step-mother had slipped back into, and her gaze settled on a young blonde, tall with aristocratic, almost delicate features, who seemed to be staring intently at her...she froze, at first feeling pleased that she had captured his attention, then remembering that he was nothing but a ticket out of her life.

She didn't want to be attracted to someone. She once had a friend called Meiko, back before her father had died and cast her to this hell. Meiko had fallen for someone, his identity Cinderella didn't know, but she knew they spent most of their time with each other, an happy couple.

Eventually, though, the other person got tired of Meiko and left her for another girl, and Meiko was so heart-broken she had moved away to another land, spending all the money she had on the move. She ended up destitute and depressed, and Cinderella didn't want the same thing to happen to her. So she had made a vow to never, never ever fall for someone.

Not even for a prince with silky blonde hair and a smooth, seductive voice, smooth like velvet.

He didn't move any closer to her, which made her feel strangely disappointed, but she didn't let the disappointment show on her face. Since he wouldn't approach her, she would approach him. _Hah. Let's see how he likes that. _

He flicked his fringe away from his eyes, eyebrows lifting again. He seemed to do that a lot. The eyebrow lifting. ''Weren't you mingling with the others?'' he questioned lightly.

''I changed my mind,'' she purred. ''I'd much rather talk to you, Prince Romeo.''

The prince smirked. ''I'm honoured. Come, walk with me,'' he tilted his head towards the main doors of the ballroom. Mentally, Cinderella shrugged, and she followed him out of the open doors.

The prince led her out to the palace gardens, and she stared, agape, at the amazing array and variety of the flowers in the sprawling gardens. Roses, tulips, honeysuckle, jasmine, all sorts of flowers grew in abundance on the grounds, and their individual scents mixed and mingled, forming an intoxicating fragrance which made her feel slightly heady.

''Sit,'' he murmured, gesturing at a stone bench next to a particularly beautifully pruned rosebush. She sat, and he followed suit, his fingers running through her hair. She tensed as he lifted a lock of her dark green hair, staring intently at it, before he brought it up against his lips. ''Your hair smells like roses,'' he complimented her, dropping the strands, and she swallowed, unsure of how to reply.

''You're probably wondering why I asked you out here.'' _Commanded might be a better choice of word, _she thought wryly. ''I have a proposal for you...'' with that he hesitated, and silence fell betweem them. Cinderella waited with bated breath as he considered his next words.

''Maybe I'll tell you tomorrow,'' he finally muttered. Cinderella's heart fell.

His fingers found hers, and he took her hand. She looked up at him, surprised.

_What's with the mixed signals?_

''I don't want to do this,'' he said, voice low. ''All this, this ball, seeking a bride...it wasn't my idea.'' Cinderella's eyes widened. ''My father was getting tired of my moping, so he decided to organise this whole thing, in the hopes that I'd get a companion. But I can't. I really can't. That's why I needed to get away for a while. I can't stand all that...festivity.''

''Oh,'' was all she could manage. _He doesn't want a bride, _she thought numbly. _I'll need to think of some other way to escape my life. There's no way I'm resigning myself to that._

''I do feel bad about leading them on. But there's no way I can take someone to be my beloved. Not without feeling guilty.''

''So you brought me out just to tell me this?'' Cinderella mumbled. ''Why me?''

''You don't seem to be interested in me, not like the rest of them. You're more dependable in that way.'' He let go of her hand. ''Are you?''

She had no reason to feel upset. ''Why should I not be?'' she rose from the bench. ''If there's nothing else, prince, I'll be making my way back inside,'' she said coolly.

''Are you coming back tomorrow?''

She paused. ''I don't know. Maybe. Why?''

''Do come. Like I mentioned previously, I have a proposal for you.'' A pause. ''Please.''

Cinderella nodded stiffly before she strode back inside, leaving the blonde prince behind.


	5. Real or Fake

''You're depressed,'' the king stated.

''I'm not,'' Romeo snapped back. ''I'm just annoyed by all this. It's so artificial. It's hateful. And a pointless waste of time.''

''I haven't seen you drink this much in a long time,'' the king said reasonably. Reaching out, he pried the bottle of liquor away from Romeo's grasp. Romeo considered lunging for the bottle, but thought better of the idea and instead, slumped back into his chair.

''Because you've been restricting my alcohol access. Especially ever since you came up with this stupid idea for a ball. Another reason I'm annoyed.''

The king snorted. ''What nonsense. Even after you tried to commit suicide you never drank so much...'' Romeo flinched. ''What's your reason, Len Kagamine?''

Romeo looked at his adoptive father, surprised. His father usually referred to him using his nickname, Romeo. Only rarely did he ever use his birth name. Len Kagamine.

''A girl,'' he finally admitted sullenly. ''Remember you told me that I didn't necessarily have to find a bride? That a friend would suffice for your expectations. Well. There's one girl I'd like to know better, but she doesn't seem to share the same interest...'' his voice trailed off as he muttered something about how it ought to be an honour that he wanted to befriend her. The king held back a chuckle.

He would freely admit that Len, or Romeo as he was more known as, was a little too pampered for his own good. His girlfriend had died while they were both fifteen, and the king had adopted him since then. Occasionally, the king wondered how Romeo would be faring if he had not been passing through Romeo's village, three years ago. He'd probably be dead.

In those three years, the king had tried to lift his son out of depression, and maybe he had pampered him too much in the process. It didn't help that even before his suicide attempt, Len had been the sole son of a wealthy noble, and as a result the prince had never once known a day of hardship.

No doubt, this girl who had captured his son's attention, albeit in only a platonic fashion, would be a challenge that Romeo would do anything to conquer. ''Why do you think she doesn't want to befriend you?''

''She's vexing,'' came the exasperated reply. ''Earlier, I told her about how this whole ball was a farce, that I had never intended to choose a bride. She took that well - she's never shown any signs of being romantically interested in me anyway. But once I asked her to return tomorrow, she turned cold and just..._walked away. _From me!''

A challenge, indeed. Maybe Romeo would finally know what it was like to have to work for something. The king paused, remembering how he had to work for the throne, the fights for the crown, how everyone had eyed that cursed crown after the old king died, leaving behind no successor. It was one reason he had decided to adopt Romeo. So the same wars wouldn't happen, so there would be a clear heir to the throne. ''Will she return?''

''I think so,'' Romeo closed his sky-blue eyes. ''I'm not sure. She said she would. But she seemed angry. Maybe she won't. I hope she does. It's nice, you know? To talk to someone who's not looking to be my fiancee.''

He didn't know why, but he felt a prickle of sadness that she wasn't interested in him that way. Maybe it was just that he wasn't used to girls being disinterested in him. He was good-looking, he knew that - even when he had been with Rin, girls had flocked around him, trying to get his attention.

He flinched again. _Rin. _He missed her so much. Her death was his fault, all his fault...if only he hadn't been so forgetful, so last-minute, Rin would still be alive. And he wouldn't be in this state. He wouldn't be moping, depressed - he realised his father was saying something. ''Pardon?''

The king sighed. ''I was saying, did you happen to find out her name? This girl you speak of.''

''Her name?'' Romeo echoed. ''Oh. Yes. She's called Cinderella.'' He saw the king's skeptical face. ''Honestly. It's a nickname, apparently. Her real name's Miku Hatsune, but she said her step-mother named her Cinderella.''

''Miku Hatsune?'' A faint spark of recognition entered the king's eyes. ''That's not possible though. She can't be Miku Hatsune. What's the colour of her hair?''

''Green. What do you mean, she's not Miku?''

''Her eyes?'' The king ignored the question.

''I don't know. She wore a mask both nights. It covered her eyes. I could only tell that she's a beautiful girl,'' Romeo was getting confused. ''Father...what are you hiding? How do you know Miku Hatsune?''

The king hesitated for a brief second. Finally, he spoke. ''I knew her father. He's dead, died in a fire at another noble's house. He was my friend. But I remember his widow, Miku's step-mother, told me Miku Hatsune had been with her father, and both father and daughter had died in that fire.'' Romeo froze. ''She's dead, Romeo. That girl couldn't possibly have been her.''

_But she wasn't lying. _Romeo was sure of that. There had been honesty in her voice, and besides he didn't think such an angelically beautiful girl could lie. ''I don't think she was lying about her identity. She stands to gain nothing from it. Maybe her step-mother was the one who was lying.''

''Why would she lie about her own step-daughter's death?'' The king sounded confused. Romeo shrugged.

''Her husband was wealthy. Miku Hatsune probably had an inheritance, and if Miku happened to die, wouldn't that whole fortune go to her step-mother?''

The king considered. ''That may be true, but we cannot jump to such conclusions straightaway. The Lady is well-respected and has a large social circle, and she's well-known for being a charitable woman. Not one likely to lie to usurp another's fortune. Accusing her would be a risky move, without enough evidence. And son, keep in mind that your theory is possible, but not probable. Until you can be sure that the girl is Miku Hatsune, don't spread rumours.''

Romeo hesitated. ''How can I be sure that she's Miku Hatsune? I don't know what the real Miku Hatsune would look like. If she were still alive.'' _Would she be beautiful, like that girl who claims to be her?_

''Miku Hatsune is famous for her green hair and green eyes. She's the only known person in the whole land with such an hair and eye colour combination. Also, her father once told me that on her upper thigh there is a birthmark in the shape of a club, like in playing cards.''

Romeo blinked. ''I can't ask her to show me her upper thigh. She'd slap me for daring to ask something so immodest.''

''Fine. Then just try and get her to remove her mask. It'd be better if we could see her birthmark though.''

Romeo sighed, an irritated sigh. ''Very well. I'll try to do all that. But if I have to convince her to show me her birthmark...I can't do that as just a friend. I'd have to be her _lover_,'' he recoiled as memories of himself with Rin surfaced, how he had known her body almost as well as his own. To know another that way...was almost like a betrayal of his memories of her. Of Rin.

The king smiled, a sly smile. ''Do whatever you deem appropriate,'' was all he said.

The bastard.

Romeo couldn't deny a faint fluttering of excitement as he thought those words though. She really was beautiful, this...Miku?

Cinderella, he decided. Until he could be sure of her identity. What his father had just told him had shaken him, and he was determined to find out the truth about this mysterious girl.

It would, at the very least, give him something to do. Something which can distract him from his pain, from his haunted memories.

And maybe, just maybe, befriending this girl would fill up the empty chasm in him. He pushed away the whispers of his conscience. She would be nothing more than a friend, he repeated mentally, insistently.

Why did he keep doubting his own intentions? No one had made him feel so unsure of himself before, not even Rin. It was annoying.

He could no longer deny that he _did _find her attractive, though. But attractive like how one would find a work of art. Not as anything more. She was an attractive friend. Only a friend.

_I'm not going to fall for Cinderella. _He repeated that, over and over again, even after the king left him. He would seduce her, find out her identity, then leave her, though he knew he would feel guilty. _It's for the truth._

The excitement he felt was because he finally had something meaningful to do, not because he had an excuse to see her again. He had to convince himself of that.

_I love Rin, and only Rin. Not Cinderella._


	6. Disappointments

Cinderella didn't know whether to laugh or cry as she finished the last of her household chores, which involved preparing supper for her step-family. If the prince wasn't interested in taking a bride...well, she saw no point in going for tomorrow night's ball.

So why did she agree to go?

As she sighed, she heard her step-sisters and step-mother return, the large doors opening to let them into the mansion. Tiredly, she walked down the stairs to the ground floor, curtsying as they entered, strutting like peacocks waving their feathers around. Anastasia noticed her first. ''You're still up?'' she asked imperiously.

Cinderella nodded. ''I was preparing supper.''

Her step-mother intervened. ''You can have the supper. I'm feeling generous tonight,'' her eyes lingered on her. ''There was a girl at the ball. Miku Kagamine. She looks a lot like you. Do you happen to have any distant cousins, girl?''

Mutely, Cinderella shook her head, and with a sigh her step-mother waved her hand, dismissing her back to the kitchen. Cinderella curtsied again, backing into the kitchen to take a few slices of bread and cheese.

Usually, she would be overjoyed when her step-mother didn't deny her supper, but tonight she could summon no enthusiasm. Stupid prince. Leading her on like that. How _dare _he give her the impression that he was interested in her, when all along he was just playing her to be a fool? Shattering her hopes and the only means of escape she could see. She sighed again.

She would go to the ball tomorrow night, but only because she wanted one more night of freedom, one more night to sneak out of the mansion. She had no idea why, but her step-mother rarely, if never, allowed her to go out of the house. Even when she was allowed out, it was for extremely short durations, and the brief glimpse of the outside world was never enough for Cinderella.

She would not let the prince have the impression that she returned because of him. That selfish jerk.

Cinderella consoled herself with the fact that she had managed to maintain her dignity. The prince had thought she had no interest in him, that much he had admitted. So at least she wouldn't look like a fool, chasing after someone who would never return the interest.

And it was true, after all. She wasn't interested in him. He was handsome, but nothing more than a pretty face, someone to look at. Looking at him was like admiring a work of art, nothing more. Though he really was gorgeous, like a painting of an angel come to life. Like Romeo, the tragic hero of Shakespeare's famous play.

She shook herself. What was she _thinking_? Only yesterday she was telling herself that Romeo wasn't a name which suited him. It was too...romantic. Too loving. Nothing at all like the prince. Nothing like Len Kagamine. Cinderella closed her eyes briefly.

She was going to sleep, she told herself, and after tonight she would completely forget about the prince. Yes, that was what she would do. The prince could do whatever he liked, Cinderella didn't care...not that she had any right to care in the first place.

She wasn't going to let him get under her skin. If he tried to talk to her tomorrow...she wasn't sure what she would do, but she knew that she wouldn't give him the impression that she had ever been interested in him.

Should he ask her for a favour tomorrow, as she thought he might from the tone of his voice tonight, she might even refuse just to spite him. He clearly had never been denied anything before, and refusing him would do wonders for her wounded pride.

Seeing the proud prince frustrated would no doubt cheer her up, though at the thought of displeasing him she felt a little hollow inside. Shaking her head, she struggled to rid herself of such errant thoughts and emotions.

Cinderella wasn't used to feeling so torn over her objectives. Ever since young, she had always aimed for perfection at whatever task she set herself, and she permitted herself no guilt, no hesitation. This newfound...conscience was irritating her.

After all, she knew the prince hadn't meant to hurt her pride. He didn't have any idea that she _was _interested in him - another piece of evidence proving the idiocy of the entire male species. She snorted. Regardless, he would pay.

Cinderella didn't take humiliation, intentional or not, easily.

Satisfied, she finished her supper and trudged up the stairs to her attic room.


	7. Night of the Third Ball

It was the third night, and Romeo was waiting for Cinderella to come. He smiled as some girls greeted him, looking expectant, and after exchanging a few pleasantries he sent them on their way.

How annoying.

Where was she? Would she come? He hoped she would. No, he needed her to come. The incident about Miku Hatsune's death, and her supposed survival...

To say he was not interested in discovering the truth would be a blatant lie. Boredly, he reached up to adjust the black mask he wore over the upper half of his face. He wondered what coloured mask Cinderella would wear tonight - the past two nights, their masks had been the same, he noticed. Coincidence or not?

A lone figure entered the ballroom, and he looked up from where he was leaning against a pillar. A girl wearing a black mask, with a matching dress of black and red. He recognised her for her distinctive teal hair - Cinderella.

They _were _wearing the same masks, he noted with some satisfaction. He saw her glance at him, then look away, clearly avoiding him. He scowled lightly. What on earth did he ever do to offend her?

So he went to her instead, sneaking up on her as usual.

Cinderella knew he would come to her, and she forced herself to remain still, even as she heard his familiar voice caress her ear. ''Are you avoiding me, Cinderella?''

''What makes you think that?'' she answered coolly. She was not going to show any interest. Not at all. Since he didn't wish to take a bride, then why should she act like a mindless pawn whose only desire was to please him? After all, there wasn't any other reason for her to get closer to the prince.

''Because you were,'' he said bluntly. Then he sighed. ''But let that pass. I need to ask you something,'' and then his fingers had latched around her wrist and he was forcibly dragging her out of the ballroom, ignoring her protests.

It was only when they reached the same garden as last night did his grip slacken enough for her to pull away from him. She glared. ''What do you want?'' she snapped, absently rubbing her wrist. He had a grip like steel.

He shrugged, managing to make the simple motion seem like a fluid dance. ''What do you think I would drag you out here for?'' His black mask drew her eyes, the silver dewdrops at each corner of the mask glistening faintly in the moonlight.

''I don't know,'' she retorted impatiently. _No, she was not thrilled that he had dragged her out of the ballroom in full view of everyone else. _''You truly have no manners, for a prince.''

He laughed, the sound rich and warm. ''I've been quite polite already, Cinderella,'' his fingers ran through his hair. Cinderella noticed he did that a lot. ''I...need to ask you something,'' his mood suddenly changed, from playful to almost sombre. Cinderella cocked an eyebrow, curious.

''What is it that you have to ask?'' She wanted to snort. A favour, perhaps? Like what she had thought he might ask, last night. Was he _really _that predictable?

''Why don't you be my betrothed,'' he murmured, leaning close to her. His lips were inches away from hers, and she could barely breathe. The way he asked the question made it sound like a statement, not a proposal. She didn't answer, and he smirked. Reaching up, he slid his mask off his face, revealing, for the first time, his eyes.

They were a lovely blue, the cerulean blue of his eyes, the same shade of blue as the sky. Yet there was a hard glint to them, making the mesmerising blue seem almost glacial.

''No,'' Cinderella felt herself say through a state of shock. _Didn't he say he wasn't interested in taking a bride? _Those blue eyes narrowed.

''Why?'' he asked harshly. It was the tone of someone who was not used to being denied, someone who was used to getting his own way. Cinderella's eyes narrowed too.

''Didn't you say you weren't interested in taking a bride? Why did you suddenly change your mind?''

He shrugged again. ''Maybe I was lying to you. Maybe I was..._am..._interested. And maybe I happen to be interested in someone who isn't interested in me,'' the iciness of his eyes melted a little as he smiled. ''I do love a challenge.''

Then he closed the distance between their lips, and Cinderella couldn't move, stunned. His lips were soft, so soft. It was the first time she had ever been kissed, and she didn't know how to react. But she _did _know that his kiss was controlled. Measured and precise.

A little too precise. Like he had _planned _this, like he wanted something from her in return for his kiss, for his proposal. Her eyes widened - did he find out about her plans to escape her step-family's clutches? Or did he want something else entirely?

She jerked away and, on impulse, she slapped him. His hand drifted up to his cheek, but his eyes never left hers. ''That hurt,'' was all he said.

Cinderella was sure he had ulterior motives. She doubted that he had been lying when he told her about how he did not wish to choose a fiancee, he had no reason to lie...or did he? She shook her head, confused, rising from the bench. A wry thought entered her mind - this scene was a lot like last night's.

But even through her confusion, she didn't want to close this door. She had promised herself she would deny him, and she would deny him now, to his face. However, she wasn't so stupid as to put her pride before her freedom. On the slight chance that his proposal was genuine, she would leave both of them a loophole.

She fled from him, taking the same route as last night - _this is all so similar to what I did yesterday night _- and when she reached the ballroom, she paused for a short breath. She knew he would be trying to find her, since he didn't take well to rejection, but it would take some time before he could reach the ballroom since she had locked some of the doors in the passageways on the way back.

Shooting a covert glance around her, she slid one of her red shoes off her feet, then tossed it near the door that the prince would have to open to enter the ballroom. She smiled.

Cinderella of the fairytale had dropped her shoe, and the prince had found it, thus finding her and marrying her so that they could live _happily ever after. _How unrealistic. Cinderella claimed to have accidentally dropped her shoe, but Miku Hatsune doubted it. Cinderella probably had lied, lied that she had dropped her shoe, for didn't she want the prince to find her too? Just like Miku.

She knew the prince was smart. Arrogant and spoilt, but smart. He knew that she was Miku Hatsune, and he would probably know that she was the step-daughter of the Widow Hatsune. It would be logical for him to look for her at their manor first, provided he linked the shoe to her. Her name _was _Cinderella after all, and if he couldn't sense her interest...it would be rather disappointing.

If he didn't try to find her there, she would take it that he simply wasn't all that interested and his proposal (who would've thought it really was a proposal, and not just a preposition?) was a lie, or that she had simply over-estimated his levels of intelligence.

She took off her other shoe and, holding it in her hands, she slipped out of the main doors, out of the palace, and into the night.

Meanwhile, a very frustrated Romeo was trying to kick down the last door.

''Little brat,'' he snarled, finally slipping out a dagger and wriggling it into the keyhole. There was a 'click', and then the door swung open into the ballroom. He scanned it. There was no green-haired girl to be seen, and that...that just pissed him off.

He started forward, intending to go out of the palace, then he stepped on something. He glanced down, startled, and he saw that he had accidentally stepped on a shoe. A red shoe, the kind of shoe an eighteen-year-old girl would wear. Slowly, he smiled.

''Cinderella dropped her shoe at the ball, and the prince took the shoe, searching for her amongst all the maidens in the land...'' he said quietly. A hint? Definitely. Kneeling down, he took the shoe, studying it. Cinderella's shoe? She wanted him to find her, it seemed.

''You want me to find you, even though I'm no Prince Charming?'' he asked himself, rubbing the cheek she had slapped. It still stung a little, but he didn't care - he had received worse. ''Don't regret it, Cinderella. I might be your prince,'' he stood up, the shoe still in his hand, ''or I might be the wolf which will eat you up.''

Tomorrow, he would find her. And when he did, she wasn't going to be able to escape his clutches. He wanted to know the truth, and Len Kagamine wasn't above doing anything to obtain what he wanted.


	8. Stepsister's Blackmail

Anastasia and Lucinda were scowling. Their mother, Cinderella's step-mother, sighed and settled back into her seat. They sat in silence as the carriage bumped and clattered its way down the pothole filled road.

Finally, Lucinda opened her mouth. ''Who _is _that girl?'' she whined, pouting sulkily. ''No one even knows where she came from! Yet she just _swept in, _like she owned the place, and she took the prince all to herself!'' Folding her arms, she slumped into her seat. ''It's just not fair,'' she muttered, her face black.

Lucinda's outburst seemed to break some kind of dam, and then Anastasia was sitting upright, her hazel eyes filled with dissatisfaction. ''What right does a total stranger, a girl probably not even from our land, have to our prince?'' she asked scathingly. ''She's not really even that beautiful...''

Lucinda smirked. ''Much as I hate to admit it, she's more beautiful than you are, sister.''

Anastasia's lips curled into a sneer. ''Maybe you should go have your eyes checked.''

''Stop it,'' their mother said softly. Instantly both sisters quietened, though they still glared daggers at each other. Their mother continued. ''Why are you fighting over something so minor? It is nothing compared to your family ties. _Nothing. _You don't fight over something as ridiculous as how beautiful a stranger is. Anastasia, give in to your sister a little. She _is _your younger sibling, after all.''

Lucinda sulked some more. ''But it's just not fair!'' Her voice grew almost unbearably high-pitched.

Anastasia just sat there and glowered.

Their mother sighed. ''One thing I don't understand,'' her voice was hesitant, ''is why we have to be so terrible to Cinderella. She's your sister too, after all. We should at least allow her out for some fresh air sometimes.''

''Doesn't she get fresh air whenever she goes to the market to get groceries?'' Anastasia snapped. ''I don't want to risk _our _fortune, Mother. And treating her better...she'll forget her place, and then she'll _fight for her inheritance back. _Do you want to lose all this? All the wealth we have now?''

Her mother hesitated. ''No, of course not. But she doesn't deserve to be treated like this. She's human too, and she's your _sister._''

''Step-sister,'' Lucinda chimed in, eyes narrowing. ''I want to stay rich, Mother. Even if you don't want to. Remember, Mother, what Anastasia and I know. You wouldn't want your nice reputation tarnished now, would you?''

Their mother paled. ''Lucinda...'' her voice held the hint of a plea. Lucinda snorted, tossing her head.

''Mother, we don't want to, you know. But if you do anything that risks our wealth, the life we have now, we _will _make you regret it. Especially if you treat Miku Hatsune any nicer than you _already do,_'' Anastasia stressed.

She looked down, defeated, and Lucinda and Anastasia smiled in a rare moment of sisterhood. It was easy to get their way.

Now, if only Cinderella would be as easy to suppress and conquer.


	9. Some Things are Better Left Unsaid

Romeo sighed, rubbing the back of his hand across his eyes. Raising his fist, he knocked on the door of the manor, then impatiently he waited for someone to answer.

After a short while, the door creaked open, and there stood a young girl, with long red hair and hazel eyes. Those hazel eyes widened as she saw the prince, and she dipped into a low curtsey. ''Prince Romeo, to what do we owe the honour?''

Romeo could hear the interest and excitement in her voice, and it sickened him. It wasn't like he had anything in particular against this girl - God, he couldn't even remember her name - but he _detested _women who wanted him for nothing more than his looks. Or his status.

_They're just so shallow-minded._

''I'm looking for someone,'' he hesitated. ''May I come in?''

''Of course, of course,'' the girl gushed. Eagerly, she stepped aside, letting him set foot inside the residence. He looked around as he did, one hand drifting to his coat, under which he had hidden two daggers. He had always been wary, and entering an unfamiliar place always unsettled him.

Romeo liked daggers. They were fast, small, easy to conceal and lethal in the right hands. He smirked. In _his _hands. Assured, he let that hand drop back to his side.

The girl escorted him to the front parlour, and when he turned to smile politely at her, she fluttered her eyelashes at him before smiling coyly in return, sashaying away up the stairs to the second landing.

Romeo stepped into the front parlour, and a slightly older girl looked up from the book she was reading to stare at him. He glanced at the book she was reading and winced. _Romeo and Juliet. _The old memories threatened to resurface, and determinedly he pushed them back down. _I have a job to do._

The girl, upon realising who he was, hastily rose from the chair, curtsying like the previous girl. He assumed they were sisters as they shared the same hazel eyes, though this girl had blonde hair, not red. ''Prince Romeo.''

''Do sit,'' he returned absent-mindedly, taking a seat himself. The girl nodded and sat back down, her eyes never leaving him.

''May I be so bold as to ask, what does the prince wish to do in this humble abode of my family and I?'' the girl asked.

He vaguely remembered having seen her, and her sister, at the ball the previous three nights. The daughters of Widow Hatsune. ''I'm looking for someone,'' he stated. ''Miku Hatsune.''

The girl's face registered nothing but shock. ''Miku Hatsune? She...she was my step-sister. She's dead now. Why do you seek her?''

Romeo frowned. ''I saw her. I _know _I did, at the ball. She was there, all three nights, and she told me her name was Miku Hatsune. The girl with the green hair. I danced with her, touched her, and she was _tangible. _How could she be dead?''

He thought he saw something resembling anger flicker through those hazel eyes, but quickly it disappeared, leaving no trace, and he couldn't be sure. ''Green hair?'' the girl frowned. What was her name? Ah. Anastasia. He recalled now.

''Maybe you saw Mikai Hatsune,'' Anastasia said lightly. Romeo leant closer, curious.

''And pray tell me, who is that?''

Anastasia shrugged. ''Miku Hatsune, my step-sister, died in a fire along with my step-father.'' There was sadness on her pretty face. ''Miku had a twin sister, you see. Mikai Hatsune. I don't know why, but her parents had always preferred Miku and they locked Mikai away, from public eye. But Mikai loved Miku, regardless, apparently they thought of themselves as two halves of a whole.''

''What happened to Mikai then?'' Romeo raised an eyebrow. This was something he would be asking his father about.

''Well, after Miku's death, Mikai became depressed. After a while, she began to believe that _she _was Miku, and her mental state deteriorated. She still lives with us, but...to protect her, my mother doesn't allow her out in public much. We don't know what will happen if she's out alone, you see.''

''Where's Mikai now, then? I'd like to see her.''

''Mother took her out for some fresh air, and to do some grocery shopping. Mother believes that Mikai will be okay if she's accompanied by her while they're out.'' Anastasia hesitated. ''To humour Mikai, we call her Miku, so she won't throw a tantrum. But...she isn't. I don't like it, it's so wrong. _She isn't Miku._''

''If she's Mikai, then why did your mother name her Cinderella?'' Romeo asked curiously. He couldn't tell if Anastasia was lying or not, but he knew something wasn't quite right. A liar could always sense when another was lying, and he knew Anastasia wasn't telling the complete truth.

Anastasia shrugged again. ''I don't know. But I think maybe it's because Mother didn't want to constantly call her Miku when she isn't. She's frightened Mikai's condition will worsen if we keep indulging her.'' Her hazel eyes slid to the entrance to the parlour room. ''They should be back by now.''

Right on cue, Romeo heard the sound of the front doors opening, and he rose, going out to the hallway, closely followed by Anastasia.

An older woman was entering the manor, followed by a cloaked figure. The figure had its hood up, so he couldn't see her face, but his breath caught. Was it Cinderella?

The older woman caught sight of him and gasped, executing a deep curtsey. ''Prince Romeo. You should've mentioned something - it's blasphemy, to have you received in such a deplorable, disrespectful state -''

''It's fine, Widow Hatsune,'' Romeo interjected. The cloaked figure paused, then brushed past him without stopping to greet him. He frowned, but made no move to stop the figure as it glided into the kitchen.

''Pardon my step-daughter, Prince,'' the older woman rose from her curtsey, eyes narrowing in the direction of the kitchen. ''She's not usually so rude, I don't know what's the matter with her today. Rest assured, she'll be disciplined.''

''Don't trouble yourself over my behalf, Widow Hatsune,'' he smiled benevolently. ''It's nothing. I do not mind. At all.'' Not.

He heard a faint snort from behind him, and he whirled around. His breath stilled.

Cinderella stood in the doorway, her hands on her slim hips. She glared at him, her green hair tumbling in long waves down her back to her waist. He saw her eyes for the first time, and they were a vivid, sparkling emerald, the soft green of a lush forest in the middle of summer. _Her eyes are so pretty._

Prettier than Rin's, even. His eyes widened at that thought. What on earth was he thinking? No one, _nothing, _could surpass Rin's beauty. Not even Cinderella.

''Cinderella,'' he said her name languidly, almost a drawl. She huffed and folded her arms across her chest. He tried not to pay attention to that. ''Do you know how long it took for me to find you?''

She yawned prettily, full lips parting sensuously, almost seductively. ''Why are you looking for me, sire?'' she somehow managed to make the honourific sound like an insult.

Romeo had to smile as her step-family let out an incredulous gasp. He turned to face her step-mother. ''Widow Hatsune, I'd like to marry your step-daughter. She was the girl I danced with on the first night of the ball, and I've wanted her ever since. Do you give us your blessings?''

The widow's smooth forehead creased. ''Well...you have to ask Cinderella first,'' she said helplessly. ''It's her decision, after all.''

Cinderella didn't even look up from studying her fingernails. _Is she playing hard to get? _Normally women threw themselves at him, but she...she didn't. How odd. Maybe he just wasn't her type.

Well, Romeo was going to change that. Before long, he was going to make her _beg _for him, and she would tell him anything he wanted. She would_do _anything he wanted, including letting him search her body for a certain, club-shaped birthmark.

Images of fingers caressing pale, creamy bare skin assaulted his mind, and he frowned.

_I need to get rid of all this pent-up sexual frustration._

Anastasia spoke up. ''Mother, remember Cinderella's condition?'' Her hazel eyes widened. ''She shouldn't be allowed to marry the prince!''

Cinderella whipped around to face her step-sister, eyes narrowing. ''Who I choose to marry is not any of your business, step-sister dear,'' she said scathingly. ''But I do thank you for such concern for my welfare,'' the last words were delivered, dripping with sarcasm.

Anastasia didn't respond, but she scowled at her, obviously unhappy. Cinderella turned back to face Romeo, smiling sweetly. ''Obviously I'll marry you, Prince Romeo. I've been waiting for this moment my whole life,'' she sang.

With that last sweeping statement, the capricious beauty danced out, past him, out of the front door. Her grace once again took him by surprise, and all he could do was stare after her.

''Why did you ask her to marry you, prince?'' Anastasia burst out once she had deemed Cinderella out of earshot. ''You know about how unstable she is! I _told _you.''

''Love knows no boundaries, sane or not,'' he said sarcastically. ''May God help me,'' he added in a voice too low for them to pick up on.

Luckily he wasn't really going to marry her. At least, he hoped he didn't have to. The proposal was only so she would move into the palace with him, so he could seduce her.

He couldn't imagine actually being married to her, then having to face his wife every single day after she found out that he didn't really love her, that he only wanted to unravel the mysteries surrounding her. The mysteries that seemed to thicken, day by day.

Yet some small part of him was thrilled at the idea of taking this beautiful, unpredictable girl to be his wife. _I'm so twisted. _He shook his head, then swiftly he cupped Anastasia's cheek.

''You're not lying to me about Cinderella's past and identity, are you, sweetheart?'' he murmured. ''That her name isn't Miku, but Mikai. That she believes she's Miku.'' Anastasia shook her head, eyes wide.

''Good,'' Romeo's eyes narrowed as he caressed her cheek. ''Because if I find out that you spoke any single untruth, you will suffer a fate worse than anything you can imagine. Understood, sweetheart?'' He released her, then walked out of the manor to where his...friend awaited.

Anastasia's mother closed the door behind the prince, bidding him goodbye, then whirled around to face her. ''What did you tell him?'' she hissed.

Anastasia smiled, a sly smile. ''Why, nothing, Mother. I just told him the truth - that Cinderella has been living her whole life as nothing but a lie.''


	10. Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Fire

Cinderella wanted to slap herself.

What on earth was she _doing? _She was supposed to just accept the prince's proposal and escape her step-family.

Playing hard to get was not supposed to be part of her agenda.

So why was she being so weird? _Just accept the proposal so you can leave this life behind. _She didn't want to risk him changing his mind just because she was too hard to get.

Well, she had accepted the proposal now, hadn't she? She was finally getting away from this horrible life. Cinderella sighed.

What was she going to do now, then? She hadn't really thought about anything beyond escaping her step-family, to be honest. Did she want to stay at the palace and be a nice, devoted, _docile _wife to the prince?

No. That was totally against her nature. In fact, she'd just be escaping one prison for another.

_Why didn't I think of that? _It was too late anyway. She had agreed, after all.

She had escaped her problems, to be landed with a new set of problems. _I was stupid to have thought that merely marrying the prince would solve everything. Ugh._

A wife is nothing but a glamorous slave, especially a wife of the royal family.

A raindrop hit her nose, and she glanced up. Black stormclouds were rolling in, and it was starting to drizzle. She frowned. Cinderella didn't want to stand out here in the rain.

''Are you willing to leave with me?'' the prince suddenly said from behind her, and she started. He had managed to sneak up on her _yet again, _and frankly she was getting quite sick of it.

''Didn't I say yes?'' she answered sharply, impatient. A light smirk crossed his face.

''You don't sound very willing,'' he commented, brushing past her to the mansion's gates. Cinderella pressed her lips together and exhaled through her nose. Why was he just so infuriating?

She followed, and he glanced back at her. Cinderella looked past him and started shaking her head. ''No. Just...no.''

A white horse pawed the ground before her, and she was sure steam was coming out from its nostrils. It was glaring at her. ''It'll eat me alive, and you'll lose your bride.''

''Shhh,'' he crooned, ''Frost is a good girl. Aren't you, baby girl?'' He patted the horse's head, and it nuzzled his palm, tugging on his coat sleeve. The prince laughed, and Cinderella had to notice the way it turned him from aloof and mysterious to warm and vibrant.

_No. _She wasn't sure if that was in response to her thoughts about riding the horse, or her thoughts about the prince. She shifted, and the horse glared at her. Again.

Could it sense that she bore ill will towards its master? Cinderella didn't want to be stuck with him. He had proposed, she had accepted, so her step-family couldn't object to her leaving. But she didn't think she could actually stand being under his beck and call.

Maybe she could find a way to make him lose interest so she didn't have to marry him. Then she could somehow convince him _not _to tell her step-family that they weren't getting married, and she could go off by herself.

Cinderella had always wanted to go and see more of the world, more than the few stolen glimpses that she had each time she was allowed out of the mansion.

Though in all honesty, she doubted she'd be able to convince the obstinate prince to see her point of view. He was a prince after all, and a spoilt one at that.

Romeo had somehow gotten on the horse while she had been thinking, and now he sighed impatiently at her. ''What are you waiting for?'' his voice was filled with irritation. ''Christmas?''

She glared back at him and took his offered hand, clambering onto the white horse. She suddenly swallowed in nervousness, having never ridden a horse before, and she really hoped she wouldn't fall off. ''Put your arms around my waist,'' the prince instructed, and reluctantly she did.

The horse pawed at the ground, as hasty as its master, and with a flick of the reins it was speeding off.

Cinderella let out an embarrassing shriek and clung on to Romeo, who was apparently enjoying himself. The sadistic jerk. ''I don't like you. You know that, don't you?'' she gasped out once she had regained her ability to talk.

''I know that, and I'm determined to make you change your mind,'' Romeo didn't turn to look at her, so intent was he upon the road.

''I'm not going to. Maybe you should find someone else to chase. Someone more willing, more pliant, more _humble,_'' she suggested.

''Where's the fun in that?'' he laughed, and it was a cruel sound. Still melodious, but underneath that a subtle hint of cruelty that she had never heard before. Unbidden, she shivered. ''I always get what I want, Cinderella. Even if the other party is unwilling.''

''You don't know what I'm like, prince.''

''You don't know what I'm like, Cinderella,'' he repeated her words. ''I hate to lose.''

Cinderella resisted the urge to argue and instead bit her lip, holding on tighter as the horse galloped faster than it already was. Instead, she asked something completely different. ''Why did you take off your mask last night all of a sudden?''

''I wanted to make you take your mask off,'' he replied absent-mindedly. ''Guess you can't take a hint,'' he added in that blunt way of his.

Cinderella glared at the back of his head, though he couldn't see it. He was such a jerk!

Romeo didn't know what to think. So he had Cinderella in his grasp. What was he going to do with her?

Where should he let her sleep? In the guest rooms? Too far, he decided. He wanted her near him so he could observe her, see if her claim to be Miku Hatsune was true.

In his room? He shivered slightly.

No, not with Rin still in his memories. It would be a betrayal to his memories of her. What a dilemma.

And why did Cinderella keep trying to convince him to not marry her? She was so frustrating.

And so very intriguing. He wondered what was going on in that pretty, green-haired head of hers. ''What are you thinking?''

At the same time, he expertly guided Frost to a stop as they reached the palace grounds. Sliding off first, he reached up and helped her off the horse, trying not to smile as he felt her tremble in his arms.

''Solid ground,'' she sighed. ''I'm never riding on that horse again,'' she added, shooting Frost a baleful glare. Frost whinnied and glared right back. Romeo sighed. He had been doing that a lot, lately.

''What else are you thinking?'' he wondered.

Slowly, Cinderella smiled, her lovely green eyes filled with a strange mix of youthful innocence and vixen-like guile. ''Why, I'm thinking of how much I'd like to kill you.''

Romeo's eyes narrowed at her as he leant down to brush his lips lightly against hers. Against her lips, he murmured, ''I'd love to kill you too, Cinderella. Just wait. We'll see who kills who first, and when I win you'll eat your words.''

Pulling back, he dragged her into his home, painfully aware of soft skin against his.


	11. A New Point of View

Gakupo Kamui glanced at the clock on the far wall. ''No, don't bother waiting. He's too occupied with his latest acquisition.''

''The girl?'' Gumi asked inquisitively. He shrugged. Probably, but he didn't want to jump to conclusions now, did he?

Being king was hard. Gumi nodded and retreated, leaving the room to tell the servants not to prepare Romeo's lunch.

As Gumi left the room, someone with a familiar head of blonde hair barged in, and Gumi turned back to shoot him a curious look. The king sighed. ''Never mind. Go prepare it then.''

Gumi nodded and scurried off. Romeo watched her leave, then closed the door and slouched against the wood. ''I have a problem.''

''What problem? Solve it yourself. I can't spoon-feed you for everything.''

''Cinderella,'' Romeo admitted sullenly. ''she's giving me problems. I can't stand her. Let alone pretend to be interested in her. Actually, I think she knows I don't like her much,'' Romeo ran his fingers through his blonde hair. ''She hates me with a passion.''

''Didn't you want to befriend her?'' the king asked, startled. He vivdly remembered Romeo expressing that wish, and the prince wasn't one to suddenly change his opinion about someone without warning. ''What happened?''

''She's so hostile. She told me she wanted to kill me,'' Romeo sounded exasperated.. ''and I can't exactly take that lying down, can I? So...I told her...well, I told her I wanted her to die too. By my hand. She's locked in one of the guestrooms right now.''

The king noticed, for the first time, the red welts on the prince's cheek and right forearm. They looked like scratches. From long fingernails. The king was familiar with those kind of injuries, injuries from a _woman._

''You do have a problem,'' the king stated the obvious. ''So did you find out anything useful from Cinderella?''

Woefully, the blonde shook his head. ''I haven't thought about anything other than wanting to strangle her with my bare hands.'' The words were spoken without any heat, and the king thought there was maybe wistfulness in that normally dead voice.

''Well, come find me when you actually discover something. Like whether or not she has that birthmark. I'd like to know if people are coming back to life in my kingdom.''

Romeo bowed stiffly and left the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

He strolled back to the guestroom he had locked Cinderella in. He was taking no chances - she could not be allowed to escape. Though he thought he might want her to, just so she would get out from under his skin.

When he had first seen her, he had no idea she would be the wild spitfire she was now. Cinderella had seemed rather sweet, other than the time she had mocked his nickname. Until she found out he wasn't at the ball for a betrothal.

Why should she care anyway? It wasn't any of her business.

_Do I want her to care? _Romeo frowned and shook his head vigorously. Reaching her room, he warily unlocked it, in case she was going to try to rush out. She was fierce, and he had already sustained enough injuries from trying to lock her inside.

Nothing happened, and relaxing he stepped inside. Something felt _off, _and he tensed, especially when he couldn't see her in the spacious room.

He turned to see a green-haired figure slip out of the door behind him. Romeo scowled and rushed out, catching up before she could get very far.

Cinderella hissed and spat as he held her tight, and he felt like he was trying to calm down a frightened wild animal. ''Shhh,'' he murmured, trying not to wince as sharp fingernails collided with his cheek. ''Be calm.''

''How can I be calm,'' she hissed, ''when you _locked _me in a room? What am I, your prisoner?'' her green eyes looked frantic. ''_What do you want with me?_''

Was it that obvious that he hadn't intended to take her as a bride? He swallowed, suddenly unsure of himself. Again.

Damn, what was this girl doing to him?

''Why, I want you to be my wife. That's all,'' he smiled reassuringly at her, and those forest-green eyes narrowed in suspicion.

''You didn't want one the other night. Don't tell me that lie about changing your mind. I'm not stupid, Prince Romeo. What do I have that you want?''

''Nothing,'' he said semi-truthfully. It wasn't like he _wanted _that birthmark, he just wanted to see if it was there, so he could prove her identity. ''You just interest me.''

She suddenly relaxed into his arms, startling him. ''Do you really want me?'' she whispered, and Romeo narrowed his eyes in suspicion. That was too sudden, her eyes too guile-free to convince him about her sudden compliance.

He nodded, and she smiled at him. ''But I don't want you,'' she said softly. ''I just want to leave this town. Please?'' she fluttered long eyelashes at him.

It wasn't going to work. ''Like I've told you before, Cinderella, I always get what I want. Whether you're willing or not.''

The innocent act was dropped, and she pushed away from him, though she made no attempt to run away. ''I hate you,'' she glared at him once again. ''I will make your life living hell, Len Kagamine. Just you wait.''

''My pleasure,'' he said breezily. ''You're welcome to try.'' Turning away, he strode down the hall, clearly expecting her to follow. Cinderella considered running, but she doubted she could escape him, and sighing she followed the heartless cad.

He led her through numerous twists and turns, confusing her until she was completely lost, unsure of where she was in the sprawling palace. Which had probably been the jerk's intentions all along.

He slowed down as they neared an ornately-glided door, and turning around, he spoke to her for the first time since he started leading her here. ''My room,'' he said softly, turning the doorknob.

The door swung open, and Cinderella didn't know what to say. The room exuded luxury and ostentatious wealth, from the white-blonde fur carpet which covered the whole floor to the giant poster bed in the centre of the room. The room was huge, probably at least five times the size of her old tiny attic room.

What was she supposed to say in the face of such enormous wealth?

''Like it?'' he asked, a smirk hovering on the edges of his lips.

''Well...it's very nice,'' she admitted haplessly. ''So where am I supposed to sleep?''

His blue eyes widened, then slowly his lips curved into a sly smile. ''In here, of course. Where else would you want to sleep?''

''In a guestroom?'' she suggested, horrified yet a little thrilled at the prospect of sharing his room. Thrilled at living in this lovely room, of course. Not because _he _would be here too.

''You're my betrothed, since you accepted my proposal,'' he pulled her to him, the sly smile becoming almost malicious. ''So you should sleep in my room.''

''That's all very fine, except I don't see another bed,'' she pointed out stubbornly. He stared at her like she had gone mad.

''You'll sleep in my bed, of course,'' he said matter-of-factly. ''With me.''


	12. Lonely Nightmares

Cinderella wasn't happy. She had been locked in this room the whole day, and she had exhausted every possible means of escape. The window was locked and anyway, it was too high for her to reach, even on a chair.

Sometimes, she really hated her height.

The door was locked from the outside, and try as she might she hadn't been able to pick the lock. Cinderella wondered whether Romeo was out for revenge for the third night of the ball, when she had locked him out of the palace, leaving him stuck in the castle grounds.

Their situations were reversed this time though - where Romeo had been locked out and trying to get in, she was locked _in, _and she was still trying to get out.

What was she, a _pet _or something? Exactly what she had feared might happen were she to marry him. That she would be stuck with him, with no freedom or means of escape, nothing but a glamorous servant.

_Pity I didn't think of that when I was plotting how to escape from Anastasia and Lucinda._

It was truly a case of jumping out of the frying pan into the fire. Cinderella huddled up on the silk sheets on the bed, rocking back and forth.

She didn't like being alone. In fact, she detested it. Whenever she was alone, she would remember...things. Things that she tried hard to forget.

Things like her mother's death. Her father's death. How her step-sisters liked to treat her, when they were in malicious moods. How people used to ridicule her as a child, for her green hair. How she always used to be lonely...was still lonely, in fact.

She stilled, squeezing her eyes shut to block the images from entering her head. ''Go away,'' she muttered. ''Go away, go away, go away.''

Cinderella admitted to herself that she was beginning to become scared. That she didn't like being alone in this big room. _Where's Romeo?_

There was a 'click' sound, and Cinderella looked up as the door opened. Romeo entered, his silky-looking blonde hair tied up in his usual small ponytail. Those cerulean blue eyes looked concerned, his aristocratic features drawn tight. ''Who's here?'' he demanded. ''I heard you.''

Cinderella ran towards him, burying her face in his shirt-front. His body turned rigid for a brief second, almost as though in shock, then slowly his arms wound around her, holding her close. ''It's okay,'' he said softly, ''there isn't anyone else in here. It's just you and me.''

Cinderella let out a dry sob. ''Don't leave me alone,'' she mumbled into the fabric of his shirt. He stroked the back of her head, fingers winding through her hair.

''I won't,'' he promised. His eyes snapped to the clock. ''It's getting late. I didn't know I left you alone for so long,'' he murmured, sounding almost guilty. ''Go to sleep, Cinderella.''

She sighed, still clinging close to him, and gently he prised her away from him. She gazed at him, green eyes filled with fear. Fear of something unknown.

It was the first time he had seen her look so vulnerable. At that moment, he forgot all their disagreements, forgot the painful scratches which were still healing on his face. Cinderella wasn't hostile or cold - she was _scared._

Was she scared of being alone? He couldn't think of anything else that could have frightened her, not while she had been locked in his room. Instantly he felt guilty - why did he lock her in by herself?

_That's stupid. You didn't know she disliked being alone. _And anyway, Romeo didn't feel guilt. Ever. He hated dwelling on his mistakes and regrets - unless the regrets involved Rin, of course.

He had locked her in so that he could get away from her for awhile. She hadn't taken the news that she would be sleeping with him easily, and he remembered the way she had tried to break free again. He had been prepared, and before she could flee he had slipped out and locked the door.

It had been five hours since, and she hadn't even had dinner. Romeo frowned, unused to the guilt he felt. Though he knew it was deserved.

''Go to sleep,'' he said softly to a still-shivering Cinderella. ''You'll feel better in the morning.''

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Cinderella couldn't sleep.

Romeo was sleeping next to her, his arms wrapped around her waist. She didn't know why she allowed it, but they had felt nice, made her feel...protected. As though they would keep her bad memories from coming back to haunt her tonight.

She hated how she had shown weakness to him earlier. Now he would know that she hated being alone, and she was worried he might exploit that, should she ever show any signs of rebellion.

Though she was starting to wonder whether she was being overly paranoid. After all, he hadn't lashed out at her physically, not once, though she knew he could have if he wanted to. And he had comforted her earlier, hadn't he?

It was still better to be safe than sorry, though. This paranoia of everyone and everything was what had kept her sane and alive throughout her childhood years, and she wasn't about to let it go.

She didn't know when she went to sleep, but she thought, after awhile, that she might be dreaming. She couldn't be sure, it felt so _real, _but at the same time it seemed so surreal. Until she recognised it.

It was the old nightmare again, she remembered, the nightmare about her father's death, and she opened her mouth, preparing to scream as she watched the house engulfed in hungry flames, everyone trapped inside.

Cinderella broke down, sobbing. No, wait. What was her name now? Cinderella or Miku Hatsune? _Who am I? _

_My father's dead, dying, in that fire, and I'm out here doing nothing about it. I'm a useless daughter._

She went forward, trying to find him, not caring if she were to die in the process. Dream or not, she didn't care - she didn't mind dying.

But as she started forward, someone gripped her wrist. Her eyes widened. That had never happened before.

She wasn't following her dreams - she was supposed to go into the burning house and try to find her father, but fail. Then she would faint and wake up from the nightmare, never knowing if she could have found her father..

She looked back, to see who was preventing her from entering the burning building. Blonde hair and cerulean blue eyes, the pure, clear blue of the sky, of the ocean. He smiled at her, and instantly she felt her fear and panic, her guilt all leave her. She relaxed.

He held her close. ''It wasn't your fault,'' he whispered. ''Your father didn't die because of you.'' With that he let go and faded away.

Cinderella snapped awake, gasping. ''Len!''

''Yes?'' he asked, already looking at her. His eyes were filled with concern, and she stared into those eyes, trying to regain her grip on reality.

_What just happened? That had never happened before. Not in that nightmare._

''You were muttering in your sleep. Something about your father, and burning. A fire.'' Romeo watched her, voice filled with curiosity.

At his words she froze. She didn't want to remember the nightmare again. Even though it had changed. ''It's nothing,'' she muttered. ''Sorry for waking you up. Go back to sleep, Romeo.''

He remained motionless for awhile, and they just stared at each other. His arms were still wrapped around her waist, she noticed.

''If there's really nothing...'' he hesitated. ''Very well. Good night. Sleep well, Cinderella. We have some things to settle tomorrow.''

She was asleep before he had even finished speaking. Romeo blinked, wondering what she was thinking, then gently kissed her forehead. The faint crease there relaxed and faded.

Cinderella was starting to become a danger to his sanity. He needed to get information out of her, before she affected him more deeply than she already had.


	13. A Mother's Presence

''You're quiet today,'' Romeo commented. Cinderella looked up from the plate, her food still mostly untouched. Romeo was watching her curiously, his plate already devoid of food.

''I don't have anything to say,'' she responded emptily. Her nightmare last night had shaken her - not just because she was forced to watch her father's death again, but because _Romeo _had shown up in her dream.

What did that mean?

''You're not going to tell me about how much you hate me, or that you don't want to marry me, or that you want to change your room?'' his tone held the faintest hint of surprise.

Cinderella shook her head. Romeo was even more stubborn than she was, she reluctantly admitted that. It would be better for her to conserve her energy than waste it upon arguing over things he wouldn't budge on.

He smiled, a sly smile filled with triumph, and Cinderella wanted to wipe that smile off his face. Preferably with a large kitchen knife.

''But I want to go out today,'' she announced. Abruptly, the smile left his face. ''I didn't bring anything over here, and I want to get nice dresses. Won't you let me?''

He shook his head. ''You could always ask one of the servants to measure your dimensions, then make a dress. Or send one out to buy them for you. You don't have to leave the palace.''

''But I want to choose a dress myself. A servant wouldn't know my preferences, and they'll probably get it wrong anyway, even if I tell them.'' Cinderella pouted. ''And I don't want to have to wait for a custom dress. Please, prince Romeo?'' she fluttered her eyelashes at him.

Romeo wanted to curse. He could win this argument, _he knew that, _but ever since last night something had changed about his opinions of her.

Cinderella was more than just a mystery to solve - he was starting to be more interested in her as a _person, _a person with both strengths and vulnerabilities. And he didn't like that.

He wasn't stupid. He knew that if he let her out of the palace, there was a chance that she would slip away from his grasp. And that would piss him off, especially since he'd have nothing to show for all the injuries he had received from her. But she was hard to refuse.

Last night, when she had clung to him, frightened and confused, he had seen a raw, vulnerable side to the tough Cinderella he knew, and remembering that vulnerability now was making it difficult for him to say no.

Which was odd, because he wasn't a very sentimental or emotional person. Unless it involved Rin. ''Fine. You can go.''

She brightened, smiling a sweet smile that made her look angelic. He added something, though. ''But I'm coming with you.''

The smile immediately disappeared. ''You need not trouble yourself,'' she tried to dissuade him. ''You're a prince. Surely you have more important things to see to.''

It just made him more determined. ''Actually, I'm free the whole day,'' he smiled at her, and she glowered back at him.

He just _knew _that she had planned to slip away from him. ''We can go after breakfast, once you finish all your food,'' he added pointedly.

Cinderella just sat and glared for awhile, but eventually she looked down at her plate and began to eat. Having nothing better to do, he watched her eat her food.

She was extremely pretty, he realised. Beautiful, in fact. She had a fragile beauty which seemed at odds with her hard personality. Her teal hair fell in gentle waves around her lovely face, and he had to resist a sudden urge to stroke her hair, run his fingers through it.

_She's not Rin._

''I'm done,'' Cinderella announced. She pushed away from the table, rising from her chair, then she stalked away from him, down the hall. Slowly, Romeo followed her. He sighed.

What had he gotten himself into this time?

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The trip to the nearby marketplace was largely uneventful. They had walked at Cinderella's insistence. She hadn't wanted to go anywhere near Frost. The whole trip was spent in silence, and Cinderella wondered what the prince was thinking.

His blue eyes seemed to be covered by a veil, masking his emotions. He didn't try to talk to her, so she hadn't made any attempt to start a conversation either.

Why had he decided to go with her? She had wanted to take the opportunity to try and run away, but since he was here, there was no way she could escape without getting caught...further proof that the prince wasn't stupid.

And some part of her recoiled at the thought of leaving him. It was just so _frustrating, _her traitorous wishes and the way they went against her goals. She didn't like the prince - in fact, she couldn't stand him.

Yet she desired to feel his hands on her skin, wanted to hear her name on his lips. She sighed, and he glanced at her. ''What's wrong?''

''Nothing,'' she muttered, turning away. He raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment.

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Cinderella and Romeo walked the streets of the marketplace, until finally Cinderella saw a dressmaker which caught her fancy. The store's windows displayed several dresses which reminded her, for some strange reason, of her mother. ''That one.''

Romeo took one look at the feminine store with its frills and lace and decided to stay outside. ''I'll find you when you're done,'' he muttered, making it both a promise and a threat.

Cinderella opened the door to the store, and an elderly woman came out to greet her. ''Good day, miss. What would you like to see?''

Cinderella hesitated. She didn't really know what to say. Usually, when she went to the market, she purchased foodstuffs and other necessities, under her step-mother's watchful eye. How was she supposed to request for luxuries?

The old woman clearly sensed her discomfort. ''Come, come,'' she smiled, gently taking her hand. ''I've got some dresses in the back. They'd look lovely on you.''

Cinderella followed her into another room, where there were dresses, nothing and nothing but dresses. The old woman scanned her with an expert eye and pulled out a long silvery-white dress...a dress identical to the one she had worn for the first night of the ball.

''I already have that dress,'' Cinderella said apologetically. The old woman's eyebrows lifted in surprise.

''Really? How odd. This dress happens to be of my creation, and I only sold one other dress of this design to someone else. The wife of Lord Hatsune, before she died her untimely death a decade ago,'' the old lady sighed. ''How unfortunate, that incident was. Dead before her time. But that is what life's all about, now.''

Cinderella felt like a bucket of ice-cold water had just been thrown over her. ''The former Lady Hatsune?'' she croaked. ''She bought her dresses here?''

''Yes, child. She was a beautiful woman indeed. An excellent customer of mine. Always talked to me about her darling daughter, what was her name? All I recall is that she had green hair like yours, child,'' she smiled at her. ''I take it that you have a dress similar to this?''

''Lady Hatsune...was my mother,'' Cinderella swallowed, trying to hold back tears. ''I kept her dresses. My name is Miku Hatsune.''

The old woman gasped, fingers fluttering up to her mouth. ''Oh, oh my! Lady Hatsune, I didn't mean any disrespect - I apologise for failing to greet you properly earlier -''

''It's okay,'' Cinderella smiled tearfully at her. ''Just call me Cinderella. Dispense with ceremony, please.'' The old lady relaxed.

''I do have some nice dresses that would suit you, dresses that your mother would have loved...Cinderella,'' the old lady said hesistantly. ''But they're still being made.''

''I'll come back another day then,'' Cinderella closed her eyes as the sight of the silvery dress brought back memories of her mother. This shop reminded her of her mother.

Maybe that was why she had subconsciously been attracted to it? Because it reminded her of her mother. Her mother had come here, had walked these floors...

''Do you know how my mother died?'' Cinderella asked the old lady. No one had ever told her, and she had never found out - just suddenly, one day, she was woken up and told her dear mother had passed away.

At that time, Cinderella had been called Miku Hatsune, and she was eight years old.

The old lady nodded, her eyes swimming with unshed tears. ''Someone killed her, that's what I heard. No one ever said who did such an heinous act, or for what, for the lady's valuables were left untouched.'' Cinderella listened intently.

''Then why do you think she was killed?''

Woefully, she shook her head. ''I do not know, dear child. The Lady Hatsune was assassinated, as she was walking these streets late one night. She had over-stayed at my shop, browsing my wares, and she was killed a short distance from here. I've been feeling guilty about her death, these past ten years.''

Cinderella hugged the old lady. ''Don't be sad, her death wasn't your fault. I'm sure she's happy now, in the Lord's paradise.'' The old lady sniffled and smiled, hugging her back.

''Do come back another day, Cinderella. I will miss you, child. Be safe.''

Cinderella nodded. She would find out who killed her mother, and why. At the same time, a cunning plan hatched in her mind, a plan to escape the prince. ''Do you happen to have a back-door?''


	14. Regrets

Cinderella slipped out of the back-door into the alley, thanking the old woman for her help as she wrapped her borrowed cloak around herself, putting the hood up so her face was covered. The old woman smiled, bidding her farewell. ''Be careful, Cinderella, these alleys are filled with robbers and thieves.''

''I'll be careful,'' Cinderella assured her, turning to walk further into the alley. The old woman had told her to just keep walking, and to turn right at every junction. Then she ought to reach the main street again.

She shivered. Though it was only the afternoon, the alley was dark and cool, almost musty. As she walked through it, rubbish crackled under her feet, discarded newspapers and cardboard pieces strewn all over the ground. The atmosphere was eerie, and Cinderella didn't like it. Not at all.

Thankfully, she managed to navigate her way through the back alleys. Turning around a bend, she saw an exit from the alley, and she recognised the place.

It was still fairly near the dressmaker store, and Cinderella swallowed. She had to be careful when she exited the alley, for she didn't want Romeo to see her.

As she stepped forward, someone grabbed her from behind, a rough hand covering her mouth so she couldn't make a sound. She let out an involuntary shriek, muffled by the hand, and the owner of the hand muttered a dark curse.

He tugged her further back into the alley, and she was spun around so she could see her attacker. A rough-looking man, tattooed and unshaven, a wildly frantic look in his eyes - the look of a man at his wit's ends. ''Give me your money, or I'll kill you,'' he hissed, palming a sharp knife.

Cinderella swallowed nervously, unable to escape. The only way out was past the man - behind her led to nothing but a dead end. Slowly, she reached into her cloak, drawing out a small coin pouch, and she threw it onto the ground before the man.

He grunted, picking it up, his eyes never leaving hers, and as he shook the bag it made a satisfying clinking sound. ''Good,'' he rasped. Those wild eyes moved from her face down the rest of her body, and she backed away, not liking the intent with which he studied her.

He suddenly lunged forward, tugging at her cloak, and it gave way, snapping from around her neck. Rough fingers groped at her skin as he pushed her onto the dirty alley floor, and Cinderella struggled, trying to get free. Stubble scratched her skin as he nuzzled her neck, and she found her hands trapped, pinned above her.

Cinderella didn't want to lose her life or her innocence to this lunatic. She began to scream, not caring whether or not he'd hurt her, and hastily he covered her mouth with his hand. She bit his fingers, gagging at the metallic taste of blood, and he cursed, pulling back.

She screamed again, screamed out for Romeo, and the man slapped her. He slapped her so hard she felt her head spin, her cheek stinging painfully as unconsciousness threatened her. She blinked, trying to focus as his hot breath washed over her face, demanding.

''No, no no no,'' she cried out, weakly trying to push him away. She was regretting her decision to sneak away - what had she gotten herself into? If Romeo was around, he'd keep her safe, she just knew he would. She should have stayed where he was, not try to escape...but she didn't have anyone but herself to blame.

Fingers tugged at the buttons of her bodice, and some snapped free. It filled her with a renewed sense of urgency, and once again she screamed. ''Len!'' she used his real name this time. Why she didn't know, but use it she did. The man snarled at her.

''How many times must I shut you up?'' he hissed at her, straddling her waist. His hands went to her neck, clearly about to strangle her, but then before he could touch her again he went limp, eyes glazing over.

Cinderella looked up, past the man, and she saw blonde hair and cerulean blue eyes. She didn't know what shocked her more, the sight of the prince and the fact that he had actually come to her rescue, or the cold fury she saw in those glacial blue eyes.

He kicked the man off her, and down he went, rolling away. Shakily, Cinderella sat up, feeling faintly nauseous, and she took a closer look at the man. What she saw made her feel ill.

A thin blade stood, sticking out of the man's back, and the white fabric of the man's shirt was soaked with red. The rusty tang of blood filled the air, and Cinderella could taste it in the back of her mouth. ''Is he...dead?''

''Yes,'' Romeo said emotionlessly. His face was blank except for the anger in his eyes. ''And if I hadn't been near enough to hear your screams, you would've been, too.''

''I'm sorry,'' Cinderella coughed, rubbing her cheek. ''I just wanted to be free...for awhile. To know what it'd be like in the outside world. And now I'm your betrothed...I'm nothing but a rare bird trapped in a cage.''

The prince sighed, kneeling down so that they were face-to-face. ''If you really want to experience the real world, Cinderella, just tell me. All I need is your promise that you won't run away. It was never my intention to make you feel like a slave.''

Could she accept those terms? So long as she wasn't trapped and made to be a slave...yes, she could. It was better than having to face anything like this again. She let out a dry sob and nodded, covering her face with her hands.

To say that Romeo wasn't happy would be the understatement of the century.

He had been standing, bored, outside the dressmaker's store for what seemed like an eternity, when in the distance he had heard faint screaming. No one had paid it any heed, so he assumed this kind of thing was a daily occurrence.

Until he heard someone scream out his name. Not Romeo, but Len. His real name. And he knew it had to be Cinderella, for other than she no one else around knew his real name.

So he had rushed to where the screams had come from and had seen a man, about to strangle her. The thought that anyone would dare to touch what was his had pissed him off, and without second thought he had gone forward and killed him.

Now, as he thought about it, he wondered what had provoked such a thoughtless action from him. He had killed before, but never without thinking it through clearly. This...he had gone forward and killed the stranger without thinking twice.

And he had thought of Cinderella as his, when he didn't even like her. She was twisting his logic, and he didn't like that.

Like the fact he had let her sleep in his room, in his bed with him. Why? He didn't know. He had told himself that he would find her alternative accommodations, yet he couldn't bring himself to move her away from his room.

And he didn't feel guilty about having her sleep in his bed, not like he originally thought he would have. He had even enjoyed it, enjoyed the sensation of her soft skin against his, enjoyed feeling his arms wrapped around her slim waist. _What's wrong with me?_

Cinderella was probably scared of him now, after seeing the way he had killed, without mercy. And strangely enough, he didn't want her frightened of him.

Reaching forward, he tilted her chin. ''Your mouth is bleeding,'' he realised, and he shot the man's corpse a dark look. For that, he was going to carve his body up and feed him to the stray dogs.

Cinderella's fingers drifted to her mouth. She looked at those fingers, and they were stained red. ''Oh. It is. But it doesn't matter, I've received worse,'' she said, matter-of-factly, and he stared at her, shocked.

Exactly what kind of life had Cinderella led while she was living with her step-family?

Gently, he leant down and kissed her, a kiss meant to comfort, and finally, for the first time she kissed him back, her mouth tasting of caramel and honey, with the faintest hint of metallic blood.

It was a comforting kiss, not one of lust, which was probably the only reason why he didn't feel guilty, didn't feel like he was betraying Rin.


	15. Finding A Weakness

''I'm more willing to trust you now. But I still don't want to marry you,'' Cinderella said bluntly.

Romeo sighed. ''You break my heart, Cinderella, you really do,'' he said, voice filled with strange mixture of sarcasm and...was it anger?

Cinderella ignored his melodramatic antics. ''I think we've both made our feelings for each other obvious. I can't stand you, and you can't stand me. So why do you want to suffer with me as your bride?''

Romeo held up one finger. ''Wait, wait. That, my dear Cinderella, I disagree with. I think you _do _like me, to a certain extent. Isn't that why you kissed me back in the alley?''

Cinderella felt her traitorous cheeks warm. ''I kissed you back because I wasn't thinking properly,'' she snapped. ''Not because I, God forbid, fancy you or anything. Go away.''

He tutted. ''Don't deny it, now.'' His blue eyes gleamed with vindictive triumph.

Cinderella hated the prince. She really did. She couldn't stand him, and his arrogance, and his self-assuredness, and his damnned stubborness! Why couldn't he give in once in a while? _Why was he so infuriating?_

After the kiss in the alley, they had walked back to the palace, and Romeo had, thankfully, left her alone for the rest of the day. He had only talked to her once, before they had gone to sleep, and only to ask if she was still scared.

She had said no, and he had nodded, satisfied. Her dreams hadn't been haunted afterwards, and for the first time in a long while Cinderella's sleep had been nightmare-free.

But today, the prince seemed determined to make her suffer for her escape attempt yesterday. ''Can you go away for awhile or something?''

The prince shook his head. ''Voluntarily remove myself from your delightful presence? You must be kidding,'' he smiled, a charismatic smile which masked the monster hidden inside.

He had to be a monster - no one else could be so _annoying. _Cinderella almost preferred Anastasia and Lucinda.

Cinderella turned away and tried to walk away from the prince, since he wouldn't leave her alone. And of course, the prince followed her.

It was so unfair, she fumed as he followed her all the way to the kitchens. He knew her weakness - that she hated being alone. She ought to know a weakness of his too, just to even out the playing-field.

''Are you stalking me?'' she demanded, her green hair flying around her face as she stopped and whirled around to face him.

The prince shrugged, a teasing grin on his handsome face. ''If you want to call it stalking, then yes, I'm stalking you.''

Stupid blonde.

''Prince Romeo!'' One of the servants in the palace rounded a bend ahead, approaching them. What was her name? Gumi, Cinderella thought, though she couldn't be sure.

The prince started. ''Yes?'' His blue eyes regarded the green-haired Gumi with curiosity. Gumi was his father's most trusted aide, and she usually didn't venture too far from his side.

''The king is looking for you,'' Gumi bowed. ''He's in the throne room right now, awaiting you. He says he must discuss with you matters concerning...tomorrow.''

Cinderella watched Romeo's face darken as, wordlessly, he walked down the passageway towards what Cinderella assumed was the throne room. Gumi nodded respectfully at her and prepared to take her leave.

''Wait, Gumi,'' Cinderella said hesitantly. The green-haired girl looked at her, surprise in her eyes, and waited for Cinderella to gather her thoughts.

''How long have you been serving here?'' Cinderella finally asked. Gumi frowned.

''About three years or so? Slightly more. I came in here just a while before the king adopted Romeo as his son.''

Cinderella leant towards Gumi conspiratorally. ''Could you tell me more about Romeo?''

The servant-girl hesitated, then nodded. ''What do you need to know?''

''What's going to happen tomorrow?'' Cinderella was observant, and from what she had gathered from their exchange tomorrow was an important day for the prince.

Gumi's gaze turned sad. ''He's going back to his village to commemorate his ex-fiancee's third death anniversary.''

Cinderella reeled back. ''Her third...death anniversary?'' Romeo's former beloved had died? She didn't even know he was once attached. Gumi studied her.

''Exactly how much do you know about the prince, my lady, if I may be so bold as to ask?''

''Just call me Cinderella. And not a lot, I'm ashamed to say. Only that he was suddenly adopted by our king three years ago.''

Gumi pursed her lips. ''Well, let your humble servant enlighten you, Cinderella. Romeo, also known as Len Kagamine, was once the sole son of a wealthy noble, in the village of Budapest.''

Cinderella recognised the name - it was a neighbouring village to this state capital, and was well-known for its rich silk and textiles industry. ''What happened?''

''Len had a beloved, called Rin Kagamine. A distant cousin. They looked so similar they could've passed for twins. He truly loved her, I think. The people of Budapest called them Romeo and Juliet, they were so loving. Then three years ago, she died.''

''How did she die?'' Cinderella felt sickened by her own morbid curiosity, but she just _had _to know. Gumi shook her head.

''That, I do not know. I doubt even the king knows. You'll have to ask Romeo yourself.''

''Then what happened after Rin's death?''

''Len tried to kill himself. From what I know, he threatened to jump off a building, and before doing that he had drunk poison. Of course, he should've died, but the king happened to be going through Budapest at the time. He sent two of his guards to catch Len before he could jump, and the royal doctor force-fed Len the antidote. He lived instead.''

Cinderella thought. ''So why did the king decide to adopt someone suicidal like Len?''

''I don't know. The king had been seeking to adopt a child, so that there would be a clear heir to the throne after his death. Why, of all people, Len Kagamine, I do not know.'' Gumi narrowed her eyes. ''What I suspect is the king sees a little of his own impulsiveness in Len, so he thinks of Len as a kindred spirit.''

''But how did he adopt Len?'' Cinderella asked, bewildered. ''Doesn't he have his own family?''

''I heard his father disowned him after the whole suicide affair. It brought disgrace to the Kagamine name, so...'' Gumi's voice trailed off. Cinderella felt her eyes sting.

Poor Len.

''What happened to Rin, though, I wonder?'' Cinderella asked aloud. Gumi glanced at her, green eyes sparking with an idea.

''Why not follow the prince to Budapest tomorrow, Cinderella? Then you'll be able to know from the villagers there. Prince Romeo probably wouldn't want to talk about it, not when her death anniversary is tomorrow.''

Cinderella wanted to protest - it seemed like a sign of disrespect to the occasion, somehow. But she was curious, and just _following _the prince wouldn't hurt...so long as she wasn't caught...

''Gumi, could you help me prepare to go to Budapest tomorrow? And help me tell the king. I swear to him and you that I'll not run away.''

''I know you won't, Cinderella, but you'll need an escort. I'll ask the king for permission to accompany you,'' Gumi smiled at her kindly. ''The prince will leave in the early morning tomorrow - we should go about an hour after he does.''

Cinderella nodded, and Gumi bowed before leaving.

Tomorrow, she would find out about Rin Kagamine's death, and then she would have a weakness to use against Romeo.

Would she be able to bring herself to hurt someone so cruelly, though? To hurt the prince using memories of his former beloved's death?

Cinderella didn't know, and she hoped she would never have to find out.


	16. Curiosity Kills The Cat

''I feel bad about this,'' Cinderella muttered to herself. She hated this _guilt _she was feeling - it wasn't like she was doing anything wrong, not really.

_Oh, so spying on Romeo mourning the loss of his beloved isn't anything wrong?_

She ignored the voice of her conscience.

Gumi looked out of the window, parting the curtains. ''I think we'll reach Budapest soon. The king said that it's about an hour's journey away from the palace, by carriage.''

Cinderella and Gumi had left the palace after Romeo did, discreetly following him on his horse. Cinderella shuddered.

There was no love lost between her and Frost. That horse truly was a _menace._

Cinderella peeked out of the window too, and in the distance she could see a small village, wisps of smoke curling lazily from chimneys. The village of Budapest, the village where the prince had been born.

She let the curtain fall back into place, and she and Gumi rode in silence for the rest of the ride.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

''Where would you go, if you were mourning the loss of your beloved?'' Gumi mused. Cinderella shrugged, not knowing herself.

''I'd go to where they died,'' she suggested, drawing her cloak tighter around her. Her hood was up, shielding her face. ''Except we don't know where Rin died. We don't even know where she's buried.''

''In the graveyard, maybe?'' Gumi suggested bluntly, tilting her head towards a small church. There was a graveyard behind the church, and it seemed to be the only graveyard in the whole village of Budapest.

Well, Budapest was, admittedly, quite a small town. Cinderella smiled. ''I never saw that graveyard. Gumi, you're so smart.''

The servant-girl blushed. ''Oh, it's nothing, miss - I'm just observant.''

''Observant or not, we should go in to see. Gumi, would you mind taking a rose from the garden over there? We're going to need a reason to enter that graveyard.''

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

Cinderella pushed open the gate to the cemetery, wincing as the gate creaked open on rusty hinges. In the surrounding silence, the sound seemed loud enough to wake the dead, and Cinderella hoped that Romeo wouldn't notice the sound.

If he happened to be inside the graveyard, that was. If not...well, she would have to think of somewhere else to look for him.

''Look, Cinderella,'' Gumi whispered, pointing discreetly with her little finger. Cinderella looked in the direction Gumi was indicating.

Romeo stood there, head bowed, over a simple gravestone. He seemed to be saying something to the grave, and softly Cinderella and Gumi approached him, standing before a tombstone one row behind his.

''I'm so sorry, Rin,'' they could hear him say. ''It's been three years...and your death is stll fresh on my mind. I miss you. _I want to join you, _sometimes, but I didn't die for a reason. I suppose God has His reasons for not letting me die.''

Kneeling down, Romeo placed a bouquet of roses upon the grave, then he continued staring at the dirt for awhile. Cinderella wondered how long he was going to kneel there, on the ground.

Someone walked past them, and hastily Cinderella and Gumi assumed prayer positions. The man appeared to be a priest, and glancing up Cinderella saw the priest approach Romeo.

''Len, my son,'' the priest murmured, reaching the blonde prince. ''You're here again, on this fateful day. Just like last year.''

''Yes, Father Henry.'' Romeo kept his head bowed. ''It's Rin. I _have _to come back. If I don't...I feel like I lose the only part of her I have left.''

Cinderella had never heard so much raw pain in one's voice before, and she felt her eyes widen. _Does he really love her so much? _Her mind whispered, sounding almost jealous.

She pushed the thought away and focused on their conversation.

''I suppose you'll be going to where she died, later? At the river-side?''

''Yes,'' Romeo rose, not bothering to brush the dirt away from his pants. ''I'm going now, actually. I think that...I'd like to be alone.''

''I understand,'' the priest said, voice sad. ''Rin was a wonderful girl, but she's no longer with us. Len, child, you have to learn how to let go.''

''I won't ever let go.'' A trace of the prince's usual stubborness could be heard in his obstinate tone. ''How could I? She was once my everything, Father Henry. She still is.''

''I heard you have a betrothed now, though...Len. Don't you think that you're being selfish?''

''I have my reasons, Father Henry. I have my reasons for taking someone to be my bride. It does not neccessarily mean she has taken Rin's place in my heart.'' Romeo's voice was shaky, and Cinderella wondered at that.

Shaky from grief? From anger?

''Really, Len?'' The priest sighed. ''Very well. If you insist. I know you well, son, don't ever forget that. If you didn't care, not even marginally, for the girl, you'd never have agreed to marry her. Not for anything.''

''I've changed, Father Henry.'' Romeo's voice turned dead. ''I'm not the same Len you once knew.'' With that, he turned and strode away, passing by Cinderella as he did.

As he passed by her and Gumi, Romeo paused, almost as though he had recognised her. Which wasn't possible - her hood was still covering her face.

He was near enough for her to see the confusion on his handsome face. He frowned and shook his head, before he continued, leaving the cemetery.

The priest sighed again and walked over to her and Gumi. Cinderella swallowed. ''Good day, Father.''

''Good day, child,'' he smiled kindly at her. He was an old man, maybe in his early fifties. His beard was gray, and there were a pair of crooked spectacles on his nose. ''Are you here to visit your kin?''

Cinderella glanced down at the gravestone. ''Ah, yes. I'm a distant niece of Aunt Tabitha. I came to pay my respects to her.''

''Tabitha Greenleaf,'' the priest nodded sagely. ''She was a wise woman. Her death is greatly mourned by many.'' He turned to walk away.

''Wait, Father,'' Cinderella called out. She saw Gumi shoot her an inquisitive look. The priest turned back to look at her, waiting for her to continue.

''Pardon me, but I couldn't help overhearing the conversation between you and the young man earlier. I knew Rin Kagamine, and I didn't know she had passed on,'' Cinderella said easily, the lie passing through her teeth like water flowing through a stream.

''Oh, yes. Rin Kagamine. She was a wonderful girl - a pity indeed, that she had to die so young. At the tender age of fifteen.''

''How did she die?'' Cinderella asked. Gumi sucked in a deep breath.

The priest regarded her curiously. ''You sound very interested, young lady. May I know your name?''

Cinderella hesitated. She didn't want to risk the prince discovering her presence here. Finally, she said, ''Gumi. Gumi Hatsune.''

Gumi giggled softly. The priest looked at her, but apparently decided not to question too much.

''Rin Kagamine was murdered. That young man you saw earlier? He's Len Kagamine, Rin's former fiance. They were engaged, about to be married. One week before the marriage ceremony, he and Rin were going to meet at the river-side. Len forgot to bring something - I believe it was Rin's favourite orange cake.''

Cinderella tilted her head, curious, waiting for the priest to continue.

''He went back home to take it, leaving Rin alone at the river. When he returned, she was dead, brutally killed, all her valuables stolen. That was three years ago. Romeo found the thief and killed him personally, I think, but he has never forgiven himself for Rin's death.''

Cinderella blinked. ''But that wasn't his fault. He didn't know that Rin would be robbed when he left the river.''

The priest heaved another sigh. ''That's what I keep telling him. He refuses to listen.''

Cinderella and Gumi remained silent for awhile. Finally, Cinderella walked past the priest, walked past Gumi, to Rin Kagamine's grave, the crimson rose still in her grasp.

She knelt before the grave, placing her lone rose next to Romeo's bouquet. ''I hope you're happy in the Lord's paradise, Rin,'' she prayed as the priest and Gumi both looked on.

_Don't worry about Len either. I'll do my best to help him be happy, so he won't suffer anymore._


	17. Remnants of the Past

Romeo sat by the riverside, knees drawn up to his chin. The water rushed past him, white froth splashing onto the bank, and he shut his eyes, trying to block out his memories of the place.

Here was where he used to meet Rin, where he had spent some of the happiest days of his life. Now, it was nothing but a sad reminder of what could've been. A graveyard for forgotten hopes and dreams.

''No one understands,'' he murmured, his fingers trailing through the constantly churning river water. Though everyone said it wasn't his fault, he could still _remember _what the scene had been like, when he found her body floating in the river. It was still so _fresh, _so _vivid._

He had left her at the riverside, laughing and awaiting his return. When he left her she had been vibrant and _alive, _when he returned she was still and lifeless, her blood staining the water crimson.

Her blue eyes had stared blankly at him, glazed over, her pale, limp hand floating in the river. Her throat had been slit, and there was blood, _so much blood, _enough blood that he had known she could no longer be alive.

Even her blonde hair had been stained through with crimson streaks, her dress bloodied and tattered. What few belongings she had had with her were gone, obviously stolen. Most of all, the gold engagement ring he had given to her a month ago was gone from her finger.

A little bit of Romeo had died along with Rin that day, by the riverside. He had carried her lifeless body back to Budapest, to the shock of the other villagers, and laid her in the best coffin money could buy. Then, he had personally dug her grave, placed her coffin in the ground, and kept vigil next to the fresh grave the whole night.

He hadn't been able to come to terms with her death, and kept forgetting that she was _dead. _He would wake up in the middle of the night, calling her name. He lost the will to live, didn't want to eat, didn't want to drink. All he did was sit in a corner and wish to die.

One day, his father had dragged him out to town, and reluctantly Romeo had went. When he saw a familiar gold ring inside a pawnshop, he had entered and demanded for the ring, asking who had pawned it.

He was told a name, given a description, and with the ring on a chain around his neck, Romeo had sought out the one who had stolen his reason to live and did to him what he had done to Rin.

After the man's death, after he had avenged Rin, he thought that he had no more reason to live on the surface of this earth. So he had decided to return to Budapest and kill himself, like how Romeo in the tragedy had done when he heard his Juliet had died.

He would've died, too, had the king not been passing through Budapest. At first, he had hated the king for saving him, and had tried repeatedly to take his own life. Each attempt either failed or was foiled, and eventually Romeo stopped his suicide attempts.

Now, he thought maybe he was thankful he hadn't died. He wasn't sure why, but he no longer had a death wish.

He no longer wanted to die. For the first time in three years, Romeo wanted to live.

Rising from the river bank, Romeo dusted the dirt off his pants and stared into the swirling water. ''Goodbye, Rin,'' he whispered, before turning away to walk back into the village.

As he walked, he thought he heard a cracking sound, like the sound of someone stepping on a twig. His head whipped around, but he saw nothing, and eyes narrowing, he slowly turned back to face the front.

Cinderella and Gumi peeked out from behind a tree. ''Do you think he saw us?'' Gumi asked quietly. Cinderella shook her head.

''At least, I hope he didn't,'' she added under her breath. ''If he had, he would've come here.''

''He's turning into Budapest, let's go!''

Cinderella and Gumi sneaked behind the prince. Cinderella was still feeling embarrassed - she had accidentally trod on a twig earlier, and they had been forced to hide as the prince turned back to look.

Curse her own clumsiness. Not that she was usually very clumsy.

The prince walked through the main street of Budapest, and Cinderella and Gumi trailed discreetly after him. Cinderella had completely no idea where the prince was headed, but she followed, just in case he was going somewhere else to mourn Rin Kagamine's death.

Suddenly, the prince froze in his tracks, and Cinderella and Gumi darted into a convenient, nearby alley. They peeked out at what was going on.

The prince was staring at a man, with auburn hair and finely-formed features. Cinderella found his eyes familiar, and with a jolt she realised why - they were _Len's _eyes, the same pure, vivid blue.

But where the prince's eyes were warm and vibrant, the man's eyes were glacial. Almost soulless. Cinderella had only ever seen the prince's eyes like that when he was truly angry, or when he was trying to be manipulative.

The man seemed to radiate a manipulative aura, like everything he did was for his benefit, and only his own. The man smiled, and his lips moved. The pair were near enough that Cinderella could hear their exchange. ''Len.''

''Lord Kagamine,'' the prince said stiffly. Her eyes widened, and she shuddered. _Lord Kagamine._

Len's father. The lord who had disowned his son because of the way he had tainted their family name. She should have known.

Their eyes were so similar, but at the same time so _different. _Like twins, with the same appearance, but completely different attitudes and personalities.

''I take it that the prince is doing well?'' the lord said, a cruel, lilting edge to his polite voice.

''Rather well, thank you,'' Len responded coolly. ''Actually, if you don't mind, I'm actually in a hurry, so...''

''I won't hold you up for long, Prince _Romeo,_'' the lord said with a sneer. ''Have you visited the cemetery? Third-year graves start getting a little worn, you might want to replace _her _headstone,'' he added, full of disdain.

The prince's fingers clenched into fists, though he gave no other outward sign of anger. ''I'll see to it, Lord Kagamine. Farewell.''

''And I heard you have a betrothed now. A replacement for Rin so fast, Len? I'm disappointed. Didn't you love Rin? Now, you have a new girlfriend. How quickly you change.''

''That is none of your business,'' Romeo's voice was starting to lose some of it's coolness, his anger simmering underneath.

''Cinderella, that's her name, I heard? You seem to have a penchant for girls with fairytale names. Is she blonde? Short, with blue eyes, does she remind you of Rin when you see her, Len?'' the lord seemed intent on making his birth son suffer, and Cinderella hissed.

The prince's shoulders went rigid, then relaxed. ''Cinderella is nothing like Rin,'' he said through gritted teeth, ''and I chose her as my betrothed for reasons your minuscule mind will never be able to comprehend.''

The lord's face darkened. He was handsome, but those good looks were _dark, _twisted somehow. Like his evil had a physical manifestation to it. ''I see. Give my regards to the king, _my son,_'' he sneered again, then strode away, past the prince.

The prince didn't look back as his father walked past him. Cinderella felt a foreign ache within her as she saw his tough facade slip away, revealing a mix of both anger and pain.

Then the pain faded away, leaving behind anger, and he spun around to face her and Gumi, hiding in the depths of the alley. Their eyes met, and his blue eyes were filled with murder.

He stepped towards her, still as lethally graceful as ever, and his fingers brushed her cheek as Gumi backed away, panic written on her face. Cinderella swallowed, raw fear inside her. He looked like he was ready to tear her apart and feed her to the wolves.

''What,'' he whispered menacingly, ''are you doing here, my dear, sweet Cinderella?''


	18. Running Away

Cinderella shrank back. For once, she was actually a little..._scared _of Romeo. She had never seen him so furious before.

Especially not at her.

His fingers remained soft and gentle against her cheek, even as his eyes screamed murder. They were _frigid, _that clear, cerulean blue turning into twin frozen lakes. Cinderella swallowed.

''Go, Gumi,'' she said, shooting her companion a pointed look. ''Back to the palace. Now.''

Gumi stared at her, looking faintly worried. But she bowed and left, quickly edging past the still-furious prince.

He glared at her retreating back, then slowly turned back to Cinderella. ''Well?'' he asked harshly. ''Explain yourself, then. Did you think I was _blind? _If you wanted to follow someone, make an effort to not be _seen. _Or _heard._''

Cinderella bit her lip nervously, and then she stepped away from him, tossing her head in disdain. ''What makes you think I was following you?'' she asked haughtily. ''I was bored, so I decided to go to Budapest with Gumi. I had no idea that _you _would be here.''

His eyes narrowed at her. ''Then why were you at the river? It's not exactly part of Budapest, and there _isn't _anything to do there.''

Damn, he had seen her there too?

''Is it so wrong to want to take a stroll along the river?'' she lied, but the lie sounded like...an untruth. Which it was. She _wasn't _lying, she was just evading the question.

His gaze hardened, eyes becoming pure ice. ''Really, Cinderella? You're not a very convincing liar, you know.'' He paused. ''Did you follow me to find out more about Rin? To try and exploit any possible weaknesses?'' He didn't sound angry, just cool and faintly curious.

Since when did Romeo know her so well?

''I don't know,'' was all she said. ''If you want to assume as such, then feel free to do so. I've already said, I'm here for leisure, and nothing more. If there's nothing else...'' she tried to step past him, out to the main street, but he stopped her, grabbing her wrist.

She tried to tug her wrist away, but he didn't let go. She glared at him. ''What more do you want?''

''Sometimes,'' he whispered venomously, ''I really hate you.'' He released her wrist, becoming cold and distant again. ''I'm staying at Budapest tonight. Since Gumi has probably taken your transport home, you'll stay with me tonight, then we'll go back tomorrow morning.''

His tone invited no argument, but she protested still. If she stayed with him tonight, she would feel...odd. And she'd have to face that damn horse tomorrow. ''No.''

''You don't have a say in this matter, Cinderella,'' the prince hissed. ''Try to lie all you want, but we both know you're here for much more than _simple leisure,_'' he drawled the words out, making the words sound wrong, somehow.

She hated him, then. She really hated him so _much. _Her hand twitched, itching to slap him. To think that she had felt _sorry _for such an emotionless, unfeeling jerk!

''Hit me, then,'' he challenged. ''Your eyes are filled with so much _intent. _Hit me, if you can.''

Riled, she raised her hand to slap his cheek. He needed to _hurt _for awhile, the arrogant bastard, and he was going to suffer.

His fingers shot out, curling around her wrist, preventing her from striking, and she struggled, trying to tug her hand away.

Of course, she had fallen for his trap again, hadn't she? Cinderella wanted to rail at herself. His grip around her wrist tightened as she tried to pry his fingers loose.

He yanked her to him, his blue eyes turning from frozen to heated in a split second. His other hand threading through her hair, he kissed her, a harsh, punishing, bruising kiss.

A kiss which made her toes curl. It wasn't a kiss of lust or a kiss of comfort - it was an act designed to show her who held the reins, who had the power.

But even so, she enjoyed it, enjoyed the way his mouth demanded and took from her what he wanted. He tasted of cinnamon, spicy and heady, and slowly the kiss gentled, becoming less harsh. Almost sweet.

Romeo felt confused. She hadn't pulled away, like he had expected. He had kissed her hard, intending to show her who was the stronger one between them. Which was most definitely him.

But she had accepted the rough, almost brutal kiss, and now that left him unsure. Unsure of his own intentions, and of his own confused feelings. He felt his kiss become gentler, softer, and though he tried not to let that happen, he couldn't help it - the kiss turned from harsh to sweet.

But the moment their kiss gentled, Cinderella pushed him away and slipped past him, swiftly disappearing down the main street of Budapest. Romeo wanted to curse.

So that kiss hadn't meant anything to her, like he had suspected at first. She had accepted the kiss, then waited for him to let his guard down before running away again.

Why was she always fleeing from him?

''I'm going to find you, Cinderella. And when that happens, you're going to regret ever running away from me,'' he murmured, running his tongue over his teeth.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

Cinderella was gasping for breath, having ducked into a nearby inn. She was thankful that she had actually brought along some money, and now she wouldn't have to face the irate prince.

Tomorrow morning, she would figure out a way to return to the palace. At worst, she would walk. Turning around, she regarded the inn.

It seemed decent enough, and she walked to the reception counter to ask for a room.

The door to the inn opened then, and the prince walked in, his blue eyes narrowing upon her. He went straight to her, and she froze, unable to move as sheer panic went through her.

''There's only one inn in the whole of Budapest, Cinderella. In case you haven't noticed.'' He tilted his head. ''Anyway, it's getting late,'' he smiled seductively at her. ''Come up to my room with me.''

She shrank away, shaking her head. ''I can get another room for myself. You had only ordered one room for yourself. There's no need to squeeze in with someone else.''

''You're my betrothed,'' he reminded her, fingers brushing her lips. ''Not just anybody else. I don't mind sharing a bed with you...as you already know.''

''Even if you don't mind, Len Kagamine, I do,'' she hissed at him, turning her head away.

His hand grabbed her chin, forcing her to turn back to look at him. His blue eyes reflected the lights of the lamps as he smiled, almost evilly.

''Like I said earlier, Cinderella, you don't have a choice.''


	19. Interrogation

''I can sleep on the couch over there,'' Cinderella offered desperately. Romeo smirked, shaking his head solemnly.

''You're my _fiancée,_'' he stressed, his smile full of evil intent. ''How could I _possibly _let you suffer by sleeping on a _couch?_''

Anyone else would think he was the perfect fiancé, to care so much about his betrothed. Cinderella just thought that he was a sadistic monster who should never have been let out into polite society.

''Don't look so scared, I won't bite,'' he offered invitingly. Cinderella just glared at him. Scared of him? _Scared of him? _She wasn't! How could _she _possibly be scared of someone like _him?_

Fine, she was a little nervous. Romeo obviously hadn't gotten over her following him to Budapest. How he even knew she was there in the first place was beyond her - she was rather sure that she had remained relatively unseen.

Having no choice, she followed Romeo up the stairs to his room. He glanced at her, smiled wickedly, then unlocked the door, bowing and letting her enter first. She resisted the urge to kick him and stalked into the room.

He followed after her, and she heard the 'click' sound of a door being locked. Cinderella gritted her teeth. Fine. She would _stay, _if he so wished, and she would make him suffer for it.

She stood in the middle of the room, her arms folded across her chest, totally refusing to look at the prince. She heard him chuckle, and then she felt his arms loop around her waist, his cinnamon-scented breath brushing lightly against her ear.

''So stubborn,'' he breathed, voice dropping to a low, husky murmur. ''Tell me more about yourself, sweet Cinderella.''

''What do you want to know?'' she asked suspiciously. There wasn't any point in asking him _why _he wanted to know - he would just answer vaguely, or state that it was because _she was his fiancée. _She held back a snort.

''I want to know everything,'' he crooned, arms tightening around her. ''Tell me all about your past, Cinderella - every single bit of it.''

''Not _everything,_'' Cinderella retorted. ''I can tell you _some _things, but not _everything. _We're all entitled to a few secrets, aren't we?''

He shrugged, and she twisted back to see his lips curve up, into a crooked smile. ''That's fine by me,'' he said, rather surprisingly. ''Tell me what you can afford to let me know.''

''I don't suppose you'd accept 'nothing' as an answer?'' she asked wryly. He laughed, shaking his head.

''I'm not so kind, Cinderella.'' His gaze hardened. ''I asked you a question in a nice, civilised manner, so I expect a nice, civilised answer in return. It's basic courtesy, isn't it? Something which you always claim that I lack.''

She sighed, admitting defeat. ''My parents died when I was young. My mother when I was eight, my father when I was twelve. My mother was killed by someone - who, I don't know. Why, I don't know either.'' She frowned.

''As for my father, he was at a friend's house. He brought me along. I was out, playing in the gardens, when suddenly a fire broke out. I don't know why no one escaped the house - it took a while before the whole house was engulfed in flames, but everyone else in that house burned alive.'' Her voice caught.

Romeo's fingers stroked her cheek reassuringly, and somehow she felt a little comforted by his presence. ''Was it foul play? Was someone out to kill your father?''

''I really don't know,'' Cinderella mumbled. ''But his death is my fault. I should've gone inside the house to search for him, but all I did was stare, unmoving, at the burning house. I was useless...I let my father die.'' Her eyes stung.

''It's not your fault,'' Romeo murmured, and she was suddenly reminded of her dream, the one where he, too, had told her it wasn't because of her that her father had died.

''I don't know, maybe he would've lived if I had bothered to go into the house and find him,'' she argued weakly. Romeo just arched an eyebrow at her.

''You would've been a lot of help when you ended up getting yourself killed,'' he said sarcastically, letting go of her. Curiosity in his eyes, he sat on one of the chairs in the room. ''So what about your step-family?''

''I hate them,'' Cinderella said immediately, eyes narrowing. ''Especially Anastasia and Lucinda. Step-mother _can _be nice, sometimes,'' she admitted grudgingly, ''but Anastasia and Lucinda are just _wicked. _I can't stand them.''

''Why, what did they do?'' Romeo asked quietly. Cinderella sighed, still standing away from him, and she wondered whether she should tell him.

Finally, she spoke. ''They're fond of inflicting punishment, so as to _build my moral character._'' The last few words were spoken with heavy sarcasm and true loathing.

''The slightest mistake would offend them. They liked to starve me, sometimes they would lock me inside the basement with no water or food for a day. At other times, they whipped me with rods, for mistakes like not getting to them fast enough when they called for me.''

Romeo hissed. ''Why did they hate you so much?''

Cinderella shrugged. ''They never said. Frankly, I have no idea either. The only thing I am thankful for is their punishments didn't leave scars. They didn't want to mar my looks. It wouldn't do them well to have an ugly servant.''

Romeo was taken aback at the matter-of-fact was she spoke about her step-sisters' cruelty. If he were her, he would've snapped and killed them in their sleep ages ago. Speaking of which, ''Then why didn't you do anything to them? In return for their unjust treatment of you?''

At this, Cinderella hesitated. ''They're my step-sisters, after all,'' she finally muttered. ''I've wanted to run away many a time, but in the end I didn't because...my father bought that house. It's my home,'' she sighed. ''It's the only reminder I have left of my father. And anyway my step-family would search for me.''

''You could've killed them in their sleep, with a kitchen knife,'' Romeo said bluntly. ''See, if you kill them, you don't have to leave the house. You can stay there, and Anastasia and Lucinda would disappear from your life forever.''

She shot him a look which made him feel like he had said something extremely stupid. ''And get sentenced to death for murder?'' she asked, her eyes narrowing. ''I'm not you, Romeo. I don't have the backing of the royal crown to justify my actions.''

He forgot about that. But it didn't matter. ''You do now,'' he whispered conspiratorially, leaning forward. ''You could always return home, smother them with a pillow. No one will ever know who killed those two.''

He didn't know why he had a sudden urge to exterminate those two - he barely knew them. But after hearing Cinderella's story, he _hated _the two sisters, too.

And he didn't think that Cinderella was lying, either. He doubted that she had ever done anything to deserve such cruel treatment.

Cinderella just sighed at his suggestion. ''I'm away from them now, aren't I?'' she asked simply. ''I'm not as cold-blooded as you are, Prince Romeo. I don't think I _could _kill, even if I wanted to.'' Romeo frowned at that. He, cold-blooded? Surely not.

She hung her head, looking tired. ''Is there anything else you want to ask me, prince? I'm tired, and I want to sleep,'' she avoided his eyes.

He hesitated. Should he ask her? Anastasia might have been lying. She might have been telling the truth. Either way, Cinderella would claim that she was Miku Hatsune.

But it wouldn't hurt to hear her side of the story now, would it?

''There's one thing I want to ask you, but you need to promise me the truth. Nothing but the truth.''

She stared directly at him, those lush green eyes looking faintly exhausted. ''I make no promises, but I'll try my best to answer as honestly as possible.''

He accepted that. ''Who are you, really? Miku or Mikai Hatsune?''


	20. Truths and Lies

''Mikai Hatsune?'' Cinderella's voice was filled with obvious confusion. ''Who on earth is that? I've never even heard of her.''

''Anastasia said that Miku Hatsune had a twin sister, by the name of Mikai Hatsune. I just want to know whether or not she spoke true.''

Cinderella hissed in disgust. ''She lies,'' she spat, her emerald eyes filled with anger. ''I was an only child, and I don't know of any relative by the name of Mikai.''

Romeo scowled. ''Something seemed off about her at the time,'' he mumbled. But there had been a ring of truth to her words - like there _really _was someone called Mikai Hatsune. It just wasn't Cinderella.

''Of course there was something wrong with her. You spoke to Anastasia. She's the most twisted, corrupted person I know,'' Cinderella declared, full of obvious loathing. ''She's even worse than you, which is saying something.''

He ignored the barbed comment. ''So you're Miku Hatsune?'' he asked, unperturbed. She frowned and nodded, her green hair tumbling in long locks around her lovely face.

''What must I do to convince you, Prince Romeo?'' she muttered, obviously frustrated.

''Show me your upper thigh,'' he said, deciding to just ask her straight out. He had already asked her if she was Miku or Mikai - one more odd request wouldn't do any harm.

Cinderella gasped in outrage. ''You're a pervert!'' she folded her arms across her chest again.

''I'm not!'' Romeo defended himself. ''I just want to see whether or not you have a birthmark there, Cinderella. I don't have any other intentions. They're honourable.''

She stared suspiciously at him, then slowly she raised her long skirt up, exposing creamy skin. Romeo watched, eyes wide, suddenly hungry for something other than food, but he forced himself to stay focused on the task at hand.

A birthmark, in the shape of a club. Romeo stared at the birthmark, the only mar on flawless, exquisitely pale skin, and then his gaze flicked up, meeting hers.

''You're Miku Hatsune,'' It was a statement, not a question, and she nodded, letting her skirt drop back down. Romeo's eyes narrowed.

''Did you know that my father thinks you're _dead? _That's why I thought that it might've been possible that Anastasia was telling the truth...that you were Mikai Hatsune, but had deluded yourself otherwise.''

Cinderella hissed. ''No, I never knew. Maybe that's why I'm not allowed out of the house.'' Her eyes flicked over to his, green clashing with blue. ''Who told the king that?''

''Widow Hatsune. Your step-mother.''

Cinderella's look of irritation morphed to one of confusion. ''Step-mother? But she's always the one who lets me out of the house. Anastasia and Lucinda don't encourage that.''

Again, those two step-sisters. ''Why does it seem like your step-sisters have more control around the house than your step-mother?''

She shrugged. ''I think my step-mother has a secret, one that she doesn't want anyone to find out, and Anastasia and Lucinda probably know that secret - I've overheard the two of them threatening Step-mother with exposing her secret before. It must be something really bad, to have such an effect over her.''

''You're right,'' Romeo yawned. ''Maybe you should go back home and try to get her to reveal a little of what she's hiding. I need to tell Father that you're really Miku Hatsune. And after that, I'd like to know why the widow was lying.'' His eyes narrowed. ''I can't stand people who dare to try lying to me.''

Cinderella wondered whether he was thinking of Anastasia as she saw that murderous light return to his icy blue eyes.

''I'm going to sleep, if there's nothing else,'' she announced. She really _was _tired, and the prince's interrogation hadn't helped lessen her exhaustion. His eyes softened.

''Go to sleep, then,'' he drawled, rising from the chair. ''Oh, and Cinderella?'' She glanced back at him, waiting for him to continue.

''Next time, if you ever want to find out something about me,'' he approached her so that she had to look up to meet his gaze, ''I'd appreciate it if you'd just _ask _me, not follow me all the way from the palace. It makes me feel as though you don't respect my privacy.''

Cinderella glanced down, unable to meet his gaze. ''I heard that you were going back to Budapest today, for Rin's third death anniversary,'' she admitted softly. ''I didn't want to ask you because I knew you might not be willing to discuss such a sensitive issue, particularly not on the night before.''

''Rin's dead,'' Romeo said quietly. ''I have to move on, eventually.'' His blue eyes were warm, and she felt like she could drown in those twin pools. ''Just...ask me whatever you want, okay? No one likes it when someone keeps secrets from them,'' he mumbled, turning away.

Cinderella blinked, unsure of his meaning. Yes, she knew that, but what secrets were he referring to? Was there more to Rin's death than she had found out? Was it more than just a simple robbery gone wrong?

She decided not to probe. _Let him keep his secrets, and I'll keep mine._

Romeo sat on the edge of the bed they would have to share, and his gaze was fixed firmly on the floor. She sighed and went over to him, sitting next to him. Like a friend.

''You yourself admitted that you have to get over Rin, Len. If you knew that, then why didn't you try? It's been three years, why do you still pine and tear yourself up over a dead girl?''

His eyes slid over to meet hers, suddenly looking as tired as she felt. ''It's not a matter of just snapping my fingers, then I can forget her, Miku,'' he used her real name, like how she had used his. ''I _loved _her. And in a way, I still do.''

Cinderella fought back the sudden, unexpected wave of disappointment. Strange, why did she feel upset over something like this?

''You used the past tense,'' she pointed out. His head snapped around so he faced her, his eyes narrowed.

''Yes, so I did. Maybe there's a reason for that,'' he hinted cryptically, suggestively. Her eyes widened as he leant down, and gently his lips brushed against hers. A brief, sweet brush - it almost couldn't be considered a kiss.

''Stop asking me questions and go to sleep, Cinderella,'' he mumbled, suddenly averting his gaze. ''We have to leave early tomorrow.''

Without warning, he suddenly reached over to the bedside table and extinguished the lamp, throwing the room into darkness.


	21. Weakening and Relenting

_How far will we go tonight?_

The thought floated through Cinderella's mind, unbidden and unwanted. She batted the thought away. _Nothing _was going to happen tonight, she reminded her traitorous mind. _Nothing._

The bed was small, obviously meant for only one person, and she and Romeo were pressed together so close that she could feel his warmth soaking through her thin dress. She shivered, and not from cold.

''Are you cold?'' his smooth voice sounded in her ear, his breath a light brush against her skin. It raised goosebumps on her flesh.

''No,'' she mumbled, feeling a little uncomfortable. Silence fell between them again, and she had to wonder what he was thinking.

Romeo couldn't sleep as Cinderella's hair tickled his face. It made him want to sneeze. He supposed he could always turn away from her, but the bed was so narrow that he feared the slightest movement would roll him off, onto the floor.

She shifted, her hair finally moving away from his nose, and he sighed in relief. He felt her stiffen against him, and immediately he shut his mouth. She didn't say anything, so neither did he.

But even though her hair was out of his face, he still couldn't sleep. She was just...too close. Too close for his comfort. She was even closer to him now than two nights ago, when he had held her in his arms.

But he wasn't sure whether he hated it, or liked it. He made her share his bed because he knew how much she would hate it, but he didn't expect himself to feel so...strongly about it.

''I can't sleep,'' he heard Cinderella say. His eyes flicked open, and he saw that she had turned around so that she was now facing him. Even in the darkness of the room, he could faintly make out the large, forest-green orbs of her eyes as they met his, soft and dreamy-looking.

''Count sheep,'' he suggested, stifling a yawn. Though counting sheep didn't work for him. He had tried before. Cinderella groaned softly.

''No,'' she muttered, closing her eyes. ''You're too close to me,'' she said, this time in a much softer whisper, barely audible. ''I can't relax enough to sleep.''

He was surprised at the admission, and surprised that she felt the exact same way that he did. ''If you want, I can go sleep on the floor,'' he finally offered, amazed at his own benevolence.

He had never offered to do anything which would lessen his own comfort before.

Not even for Rin.

''There's no need for that,'' she sounded tired. ''You wouldn't like it, would you?''

''Well...no,'' he admitted, ''but I don't mind. Or else we both won't be able to sleep.''

She stayed silent, just studying him in the darkness, and for awhile both of them didn't say anything. He thought he saw her eyes close, but he wasn't very sure.

He sat up, preparing to slide off the bed, but then he felt slender fingers wrapping around his wrist. He looked back, startled.

''Stay,'' Cinderella whispered, her fingers tightening around him. Slowly, he lay back down, feeling a little confused.

Cinderella couldn't stand him, she had made that rather obvious. So what was she doing now? Did she..._like _him now? Better?

His heart fluttered, but he didn't know why. From shock? From pleasure? He wasn't sure, and he hated his uncertainty.

''Why?'' he asked, trying to sound nonchalant as he turned to face her. _Why does this bed have to be so damn narrow anyway?_

To his surprise, she snuggled against his chest. ''You're warm,'' was all she said, her voice slightly muffled by his shirt.

Romeo blinked. He could feel her warm breath through the thin shirt he wore, her soft hair brushing against his arms. Slowly, he let his arms slide under her thick curtain of hair, holding her close, his chin on the top of her head. She gasped a little.

''Romeo,'' she murmured, and his eyes widened as he felt her hug him back, her arms slipping around his waist. Did she...

She seemed less tough at night, more susceptible in the midnight hours. More tender, more affectionate, more vulnerable. Romeo wondered if her dislike of him was as intense as he had originally thought.

''Why do you hate me?'' he asked. Her arms tightened around him, almost painfully, but he didn't draw away, and slowly her grip loosened around him. He hissed, wanting her to hold him _tighter, _then realised what he had just thought. _What's happening to me?_

''I don't hate you,'' Cinderella finally muttered. ''I just think that you can be a total jerk, sometimes.''

''And what about other times?'' he pressed.

Another pause, longer this time. Then a soft sigh in the darkness, against his chest, making him shiver. ''Sometimes, you can be kind,'' she said reluctantly. ''Caring. Nice. It makes me feel...safe, when I'm with you. I know that you won't let any harm come to me.''

He didn't know how to react to her words. He was...touched, that she trusted him enough to believe he wouldn't let her be hurt.

''How can you be so sure, though?'' Romeo mumbled. ''You can't know for sure I'll always go to your rescue, unless it benefits me that you stay alive. Now that I've found out that you're Miku Hatsune...it was the main reason that I asked you to marry me, you know.''

''I knew you had an ulterior motive for proposing to me,'' Cinderella sounded resigned. ''And you'd still want me alive because you want me to find out what's my step-mother's secret, and why she lied to the king.''

''I want you alive for reasons other than that,'' the words slipped out from his mouth, and he bit his tongue, too late to take them back.

Her eyes flicked up to meet his, faint green in the dark. ''What other reasons do you have?'' she sounded suspicious, and he swallowed.

''I...I enjoy your company,'' he stumbled over his words. ''I like talking to you, as a friend, as a companion. I like your daring, your spirit. And I like...that you're warm. That I can hold you in the middle of the night so I'm not lonely.''

Cinderella's eyes widened as his confession. She hadn't expected him to say _anything _like that, and she was taken aback at his admission. The proud prince seemed vulnerable, his voice unsure, and she had the urge to comfort him.

Loneliness. It was something that Cinderella was familiar with, having been ostracised her whole life due to her hair, and due to the fact that both her parents had died young, before their time.

No one knew how to deal with Cinderella, so people cast her aside, not bothering to try and talk to her. It was why she was so suspicious, so rational - you couldn't rely on feelings and emotions to survive, in this world.

''Are you lonely because of Rin?'' she asked.

He stiffened. ''Maybe,'' he said cautiously. ''Why do you want to know? So you can exploit that weakness, if need be?''

''I'm asking because I'm _concerned _for you,'' her eyes narrowed. ''But if you think that I'm that evil, then you don't have to say anything.'' She tried to pull away from him, but his arms tightened around her, preventing her from leaving him. She relented.

''Yes. I'm lonely without her. She was my everything, my whole life, and without her I suffered for three years,'' his voice trembled. ''There's only been one night I haven't been lonely, and that was the night I held you in my arms,'' he admitted softly.

What was she supposed to feel? Honoured? Flattered? Loved? She bit her lower lip, confused.

She didn't want to like the prince. She still remembered the pains of love, the consequences and all the regrets. She learnt from her friend's mistake, and she didn't want that to happen to her.

But he was just so _sad, _so..._human. _Not the arrogant aristocrat she normally interacted with. Was it possible that...she might like him? That she might actually like someone?

Her hands reached up to cup his face, tracing his perfect features - across his eyelids, feeling the feathery brush of his long eyelashes, down his high, sculpted cheekbones, across his soft lips. She felt his eyes close at her touch.

Arching up, she let her lips brush his, and he responded, kissing her back, almost desperately. They stayed like that for awhile, mouths touching, fingers searching, stroking, mingled sighs and moans filling the air between them.

Finally, he pulled away from her, panting, his arms braced on either side of her head as he stared down at her, leaning over her. ''Miku,'' he rasped, ''I told you that sometimes I really hated you. That's still true.''

She blinked, breathing as hard as he did, still able to feel the imprint of his lips upon her skin. ''Why?'' she asked, feeling a little hurt.

''Because you're the only one who makes me forget,'' he whispered, brushing her hair away from her eyes, a tender gesture which took her aback. ''Forget everyone, even Rin. Even myself.''

''Do you want to forget?'' she murmured, her hand reaching up to brush against his cheek.

Without hesitation, he said yes. Cinderella smiled, feeling...happy. She would wonder about this tomorrow morning - tonight wasn't a night to think. It was a night of forgetting.

''Then kiss me again.''


	22. Giving In To The Past

Cinderella woke up in Romeo's arms, feeling a little sore. He was still asleep, but even while sleeping he looked contented, peaceful, and Cinderella had to smile at the boyish innocence his face held.

She tried moving her neck, and winced as her muscles screamed in torture. Their kisses last night had went from sweet and gentle to rough, almost brutal, and desperate, and Cinderella was sure Romeo had bitten her. Several times. Especially around the soft skin of her neck.

Though she had been too dazed with pleasure to protest, at the time. Now she was paying the price for her silence. Reaching up, she gingerly touched her neck, and winced again as the bruised flesh throbbed against her fingers.

_They had gone too far last night._

She sighed, tugging the blankets tighter around her bare body. She hoped her dress was still wearable - in his haste last night, Romeo had ripped some of the buttons off. And she only had the one dress.

She looked back up at him, then blinked as her eyes met cerulean blue ones, drowsy with sleep. ''You're awake,'' he yawned.

''I'm awake, and I _hurt,_'' she mumbled, clasping her aching neck. His eyes widened, then quickly he was prying her hand away from her skin. He hissed at the sight of the bite marks.

''You didn't tell me,'' he said reproachfully, those blue eyes becoming liquid pools of regret. She smiled and lightly, her fingertips brushed against his cheek.

''I don't blame you,'' she said quietly. ''I liked it, last night - it just hurts this morning.'' She sat up, and he followed suit, reaching onto the floor to find his clothes.

''You don't regret it, do you?'' his eyes searched hers, and she shook her head. She was surprised that she didn't regret it, but she _didn't. _She had liked it, even, though it had hurt a little at first.

He smiled, a warm smile which made her insides melt. ''That's good,'' he exhaled. ''I don't want you to regret _anything _with me. Ever.''

''I do regret one thing, though,'' she spoke up, and he stiffened.

''What?'' he asked, sounding a little worried. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling.

''I don't think I have any wearable clothes left.''

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Frost trotted back to the palace, Cinderella sitting behind Romeo on the horse. It hadn't been hostile towards her today, even nosing into her palm when Romeo encouraged her to pat its head.

She was rather surprised at the horse's sudden change in behaviour, and wondered if it could really sense her feelings towards its master.

''I want to go back to that same dressmaker we went to the other day,'' she told Romeo, who let out an audible groan. ''That's your punishment, for ruining my dress. And anyway, I can't wear your cloak forever.''

In order to hide her ripped bodice, Romeo had made her wear his cloak. It was a little too big for her - he was taller than her, after all. And she felt uncomfortable in it, though she liked that it was _his _cloak.

Did she like him? She thought...that she might. She just might. He made her feel safe, protected, and she couldn't deny her attraction to him, either. She enjoyed talking to him as well. They understood each other.

But she wouldn't admit it. Not ever. She could admit to Romeo that she was attracted to him, but she wouldn't admit that she liked him.

Like, love, infatuation, all these were powerful weapons with serrated edges, and if not properly handled they could inflict deeper wounds than the sharpest blade.

Romeo hadn't asked her if she liked him, and he hadn't said anything either, despite both of them succumbing to their mutual attraction last night. It made her wonder if he regretted anything. Did he?

''Do you regret what we did last night?''

''What makes you think that?'' there was obvious disbelief in his voice, and Cinderella hid a smile. ''That's one thing I could never feel sorry about. I...I liked it,'' he said slowly.

The whole time, he faced the front, concentrating on the road, so she couldn't see his face. However, she didn't believe the awe she could hear in his voice was faked, so she accepted that he was telling the truth.

''Okay,'' she said softly, leaning her head against his back, feeling more content than she had in a long time.

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''Good afternoon, Cinderella - oh my, what on earth happened to your dress?'' the old dressmaker exclaimed in horror.

Cinderella blushed and fidgeted as she explained that she had been walking and had tripped, _hard, _over an exposed tree root.

The old lady sighed and tutted. ''Do be more careful next time, dear. Are you injured?'' Cinderella shook her head, no. ''That's good. I have some new dresses, you might want to take a look at those.''

Cinderella followed her to the back, and she spent the next hour or so trying on dresses of different designs, seeing how she looked in the mirror. She had never been able to engage in such idle activity in her step-family's house, and she felt that she enjoyed it.

When she picked out which dresses she wanted and went to pay, the old lady smiled and gave her a better price. ''For an old customer,'' she explained, her eyes swimming with tears.

Cinderella thanked her, and prepared to leave.

''Oh yes, Cinderella. I've heard a rumour, something about your mother? Some people were discussing her murder in my shop, just this morning. The wives of the police, I suppose. Apparently, she was killed due to an affair of some sort...though I can't imagine what affair, Lady Hatsune loved her husband,'' the old lady frowned.

Cinderella froze. ''Affair?'' she said weakly. ''Thank you, Mrs. Gonzalez...I'll see you around,'' she managed, quickly exiting the shop.

Romeo was waiting outside, his expression one of utter boredom. ''Can we go now?'' he complained. ''You've been in there for hours.''

''I found out something about my mother's death,'' she said through numb lips. ''She was... involved in an affair of some kind. And she died due to that involvement.''

Romeo's face changed, from boredom to shock. ''Affair?'' he echoed. ''But the late Lady Hatsune was known for her love of her husband.''

''That's why I need to find out,'' Cinderella's eyes narrowed. ''If there _was _an affair of any kind, then what better way is there to find out than from my step-mother herself?''

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Cinderella had insisted on going to visit her step-mother before going back to the palace, and Romeo sighed, a long-suffering sigh.

_I want to go home and sleep._

He waited at the front door as Cinderella banged on it, her impatience clearly evident by the way she slammed the knocker against the wood.

Finally, the door creaked open, revealing the face of the Widow Hatsune. She blinked, obviously surprised. ''Cinderella?''

''Step-mother,'' Cinderella said curtly. ''Aren't you going to invite us in?''

She blinked again, then shook herself, stepping aside. ''Yes, yes...come on in, Cinderella,'' she sounded as though she couldn't believe that Cinderella was there, on her doorstep.

Romeo followed Cinderella in, standing as the two women sat themselves in the front parlour. ''Where's Anastasia and Lucinda?'' Cinderella asked, obvious dislike in her voice.

''They're out. At the marketplace, getting new dresses,'' Cinderella's step-mother coughed a little. ''Why the sudden visit, Cinderella? You should've said something earlier - I could've prepared some tea and biscuits.''

''No need,'' Cinderella muttered. ''I just need to ask you a question, step-mother.''

''What question?'' Curiosity flickered in the elder woman's green eyes - eyes that reminded Romeo strangely of Cinderella.

''I heard my mother was murdered over an affair, and I want to know what affair. I want to know why, and who the affair was between. What did my mother have to do with it?'' Confusion and pain lay under Cinderella's melodious voice, and it made Romeo want to comfort her.

He liked her, he realised, though he didn't dare to admit it out loud. He didn't know how Cinderella would react, and didn't want to risk her withdrawing away from him.

And some part of him believed that, if he told Cinderella his true feelings for her, she would be snatched away from him like how Rin was taken away.

Cinderella's step-mother paled. ''Affair? What affair?'' The woman was obviously lying.

Cinderella could tell too, apparently. ''I want to know the truth about my own mother, step-mother. Are you so cruel as to deny me that?''

The woman sighed, hanging her head. ''I don't know if I should tell you, Cinderella,'' she whispered. ''It's a dark secret, one that no one is supposed to know...and you won't like it, I promise you that.''

''How I feel doesn't matter. I need the truth, and the truth hurts. Everyone knows that.''

Cinderella looked incredibly tensed up, and Romeo leant against the wall, watching the whole scene unfold.

''Very well,'' another sigh, heavier than the last. ''Cinderella...the affair your mother was killed for...was the affair between your father and I.''


	23. Truth of Death

Cinderella's face drained of what little colour it had, and Romeo watched, concerned, as she gripped the armrests of the chair she was sitting in. ''What affair?'' she whispered.

Her step-mother hung her head. ''The affair between your father and I,'' she repeated, obviously feeling guilty. ''It wasn't intentional...it just happened.''

''What do you mean, it wasn't intentional?'' Cinderella's green eyes flared with sudden anger. ''If there was an _affair, _obviously it was _intentional. _Do you think I'm stupid or something?'' she asked scathingly. ''If you dare to cause such a scandal, dare to admit it's your fault!''

''I can explain!'' the older woman said hurriedly. ''Your father and I...we met at a party, hosted at the residence of a mutual friend. I didn't have any amorous intentions towards him at first, but then...we talked, and I began to like him. He was a handsome man, pleasant and charming. Witty. I...I fell for him.''

''Why didn't you two get caught? Adultery happens to be _illegal,_'' Romeo broke in. The widow glanced up at him.

''Bribery,'' she mumbled, shame-faced. ''We paid off anyone who caught us together...not that there were many. My husband died, years ago, so we were never caught. The rumours are only speculation, they were never confirmed.''

Romeo nodded, and Cinderella sat up straight, her eyes blazing.

''So...?'' Cinderella's tone was biting. ''You _liked _my father, so you decided to get involved with him? And how does it lead to my mother's death? _Why was she killed?_''

''Though I loved your father,'' her step-mother's voice trembled, ''and your father had some feelings for me, he never forgot Lady Hatsune. So...my daughters, Anastasia and Lucinda...''

''What did they do?'' Cinderella's voice lowered, becoming dangerously soft and silky. Widow Hatsune swallowed.

''Anastasia stole some money from me and paid someone to kill your mother,'' she finally said, eyes looking down. ''She was upset for me, that your father loved his wife more than he loved me.''

Cinderella screamed. ''I _hate _Anastasia!'' she hissed, and Romeo instantly went to her, touching her shoulders as her back stiffened, becoming rigid.

Under his touch, she relaxed a little, her shoulders heaving, and for the first time since he met her, he saw Cinderella begin to cry.

''Cinderella!'' her step-mother rose from the chair opposite hers, hurrying over to the green-haired girl, carrying a tissue. Cinderella ignored the tissue for a while, then reluctantly she reached out and took it, sniffling.

''Why?'' Cinderella asked softly, tears streaming down her cheeks. Romeo could sympathise with her - it was like the time Rin had died. He had been grieved, too, and all he could do at the time was ask _why, _why such a thing had happened to them.

''I'm sorry, Cinderella. I apologise on Anastasia's behalf,'' her step-mother hung her head, her eyes closing.

''What for, Mother?'' a cold, clear voice sounded from the doorway. Cinderella's eyes widened and her head shot up to meet Anastasia's gaze, empty and soulless. ''It wasn't wrong. Your _beloved _was wrong, for not cherishing you!''

''Anastasia!'' the Widow Hatsune looked at the doorway, clearly shocked. ''How could you say such a thing?''

Anastasia's lips drew back into a sneer. ''Really, Mother? If I hadn't asked someone to kill her, would you be in the position you are right now? Would you be so wealthy? Would you have been able to marry _her _father?'' she tilted her chin towards Cinderella.

Cinderella looked like she was ready to jump up and claw Anastasia's eyes out. ''You _ruined _my family, you little -'' Romeo's fingers tightened around her shoulders, and she hissed, closing her mouth.

Anastasia's eyes flicked up to meet the prince's, and for the first time something like fear went through those hazel eyes. ''Prince Romeo.''

''You know what you did is against the law, don't you?'' Romeo smiled coldly at her, a smile which didn't reach his eyes.

''It was for my mother,'' she raised her chin in defiance. ''And _Mother, _why don't you tell them the truth about Cinderella while you're at it? Tell them who is Mikai Hatsune.''

Sheer horror lit Widow Hatsune's face. ''Anastasia! Go. Now.''

''Why should I?'' she folded her arms. ''I want to see the show, Mother.''

''Who's Mikai Hatsune?'' Cinderella asked quietly, her eyes never leaving the older woman. There was a sigh.

Finally, Widow Hatsune spoke. ''Mikai Hatsune...was your mother's daughter,'' she said tiredly. ''Who you know as your mother is not truly your biological mother, Miku Hatsune.''

Cinderella's eyes widened in shock and disbelief. ''What do you mean?''

''Mikai Hatsune was the name your father gave to the child which never opened its eyes. To prevent his wife from grieving, he switched her dead infant with another child, so she would think her child was alive. Lady Hatsune then named her new daughter Miku Hatsune.''

Anastasia's eyes glittered as she leant forward, anticipating the ending to the story. Cinderella ignored her, focused intently on her step-mother. ''And where did I come from?''

''Me,'' came the soft answer. ''I'm your mother, Miku. I got pregnant around the same time your mother did, and your father took you away from me so that his wife wouldn't grieve.''

Cinderella collapsed back into her seat, face white, as her birth mother continued her story.

''I consented, for my husband was still alive and I didn't want him to find out. I told him my baby came out still-born,'' her voice trembled. ''And so you were raised as a Hatsune. Miku Hatsune, my daughter.''

''I...'' Cinderella sounded dazed. ''I don't know what to believe,'' her voice was tiny, like a little girl's, and Romeo stroked her hair, he himself astounded by the confession.

No wonder the Widow's green eyes had seemed so familiar - she and Cinderella shared the exact same green eyes. Like mother, like daughter.

Cinderella hadn't wanted to believe her step-mother, but her step-mother, no, mother's voice was filled with earnest honesty.

And it answered the question of where her green eyes had come from. Neither of her parents had green eyes, and they had speculated that perhaps some ancestor of theirs had green eyes, and she got the genes.

Now, she knew better. Her green eyes had come from this woman, this woman who was in actual fact her birth mother. ''Mother?''

But she would never be the mother Cinderella had known, the one who had raised her and showered her with love. The mother that Anastasia had taken away from her. Cinderella bared her teeth.

And Mikai Hatsune, her mother's real daughter, really had existed. Cinderella experienced a brief moment of sadness for the sister she had never known.

''You're not done, Mother,'' Anastasia sang. ''Tell them, tell them who killed your husband, who killed everyone in that house, once again through bribery,'' she smiled, looking a little insane.

Lucinda appeared at the doorway then, her red hair flying behind her as her hazel eyes narrowed. ''Am I missing something?'' she asked, voice suspicious.

The two sisters looked so similar, at the moment, with their hazel eyes, both full of maliciousness.

''Lucinda did the same thing as Anastasia, but to your father,'' Cinderella's step-mother said baldly. ''She paid someone to burn the house to the ground, killing everyone inside it. She had hoped to kill you, as well.''

Romeo's fingers tightened around her again, and Cinderella glanced up, weary from all the dark secrets that were crawling out into the light. He looked furious, anger darkening his perfect features. ''Why?''

Lucinda bared her teeth. ''Even after Lady Hatsune died, he still didn't love Mother! He yearned for his dead wife so much...well, I sent him to be with her! I granted his wish,'' she smiled, a smile too twisted for a mere sixteen-year-old girl. ''Pity you weren't inside as well,'' she sang. ''I would've loved for you to die.''

''Why do you hate me so much?'' there was no hate in her voice. Cinderella no longer had the energy to feel hatred. ''What did I ever do to you?''

''You existed,'' Anastasia and Lucinda said together, hatred in their voices. ''Our mother loved you more than she loved _us, _her existing daughters. She pined for _you. _The girl that should never even have existed.''

Those two girls were so corrupted and twisted that Cinderella no longer knew what to say. She supposed that she could understand their twisted logic, but...it didn't condone their actions. ''Romeo?'' she whispered.

He held out his hand, and she took it, suddenly tired, too tired to fight anymore. He helped her out of the room, where so many secrets had just been spilled, irremovable like ink stains on a white sheet.

As they walked past the two sisters, Romeo smiled, a grim smile. His hand drifted to his coat, where there were two daggers concealed, but Cinderella stopped him, her fingers closing over his.

She shook her head, looking weary, and continued out of the house. Romeo sighed and followed suit. If she didn't want him to kill them today...he could always return another day.

One dagger for each, he thought. Perfect.


	24. Tired Vengeance

_**Solitaryloner: **Hello people!:) thanks for reading Romeo and Cinderella! It was my first ever fanfic and I never expected anyone to read it...but wow:) so this is the last chapter, but hey, there'll be a sequel! I'm still trying to think of its title, but Romeo, don't think it'll be so easy for you to make Cinderella confess..._

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Cinderella just wanted to go home and sleep - she frowned. Home? Since when had she started thinking of the palace as 'home'? She had used to think of it as nothing more than a luxurious cage, but now...

She glanced at Romeo. Maybe it wouldn't be a cage anymore. Maybe she would actually like living in the palace. She had friends, there, after all - she smiled faintly as she thought of the green-haired Gumi.

It was good to know that she wasn't the only one in the world with such an odd hair colour. Her father had green hair too, but he was dead now.

Sadness gripped her again as she thought of her parents' deaths. They had died so young, victims of a pair of vengeful sisters. Who would have known that Anastasia and Lucinda could be so...homicidal? They looked so normal, so innocent.

Nothing at all like the monsters they hid inside them. To think that two young girls could cause so much destruction to a family...it seemed so improbable. Cinderella knew better than that, though.

And the woman she had once thought of as her step-mother was, in fact, her actual birth mother. Cinderella started to wonder, what was her mother like? What would her life have been like if her father hadn't taken her away? Would her father have been killed? Her mother? Would Anastasia and Lucinda have hated her so?

Would Anastasia and Lucinda even have been born? And if they had been, what would they have been like?

She supposed that those were questions whose answers she would never know. Cinderella sighed.

So many things happened, a long chain of seemingly unrelated events which occurred all because of a simple mistake, in the past. Her father and her two mothers...a love triangle that caused so much pain and suffering.

She wouldn't ever let herself be stuck in such a love triangle, like the way her father was. The risks were just too great.

''Why do you sigh?'' Romeo asked. They were walking back - Romeo had sent Frost back to the palace. The horse was well-trained enough that it didn't try to escape, instead trotting obediently back up the hill.

Cinderella had to admire his horse-training abilities. ''Nothing. It's just that...so much has happened, you see. I can't believe my life has changed so much in such a short while.'' She glanced at the ground. ''Just a few days ago, I was a servant. I believed my mother was my mother, and I didn't know how she died. And my father - I blamed myself for his death.''

She raised her head to stare at him, into his cerulean blue eyes. ''Now, I'm engaged to a prince. My mother isn't who I thought she was, and I find out that my step-sisters were the twisted minds behind the _murder _of both my parents.'' She laughed. ''In a blink of an eye, everything can change, especially if you're not paying attention to it.''

Romeo wrapped an arm around her shoulders, holding her close. ''One man's mistake caused so much tragedy,'' he murmured. ''So much changed, so many secrets were uncovered, all in the space of five minutes. It's odd, isn't it?''

He knew exactly what she was talking about, understood how she felt, even. Cinderella smiled. _At least I'm not alone._

She had to deal with her mother's death herself. She had to deal with the father's death herself. She had to deal with her step-sister's abuse herself. But at least for this, she wasn't alone.

She had Romeo, the boy named Len Kagamine. Speaking of which... ''Don't call me Cinderella anymore. Call me Miku. I...I'd like to honour my step-mother. My mother. Miku reminds me of both of them, and of Mikai,'' her smile turned sad, ''the sister I never knew I had.''

Romeo smiled. ''I'll do that if you call me Len.'' He cast his eyes skywards. ''Doesn't that make things so much simpler? Now that I'm no longer pining after Rin, I feel...much freer. Like I can finally make my own choices.''

Miku laughed. ''You've always been able to, you just didn't want to, Len. No one can ever prevent you from doing what you want. You're too stubborn.''

''That's true.''

Both of them laughed as they walked up the hill together, their fingers intertwined.

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Len scaled the gates, landing lightly on the other side. He smirked.

He had left Miku sleeping alone in bed, and come out to the house where she had once lived, once _suffered._

And tonight, the people who had made her suffer were going to pay.

Slowly, he ran his finger lovingly over the hilt of his two daggers. Their sharp blades would go from silver to crimson tonight, and the blades winked at him in the moonlight, glinting with promise.

He had promised himself that he would return and help Miku exact her revenge, the revenge that she herself was too tired to carry out, and Len never, ever broke his promises.

Especially promises that he had made to himself. And to Miku. ''I won't ever let anyone hurt her and get away with it,'' he murmured quietly to himself.

He glanced up at the house. Three rooms, three different people sleeping. Out of those three, two of them had made Miku suffer, when she had deserved none of that pain. They had robbed her of her family, of her freedom, of her happiness. Len bared his teeth into a snarl.

It would be a delightful pleasure for him to slit their throats, watching the sweet crimson stain the blades of his daggers red.

Which of the three would die tonight?


End file.
